Patents by Inventor Reinhard Neul

Reinhard Neul 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: 20120297878
    Abstract: A micromechanical angular acceleration sensor for measuring an angular acceleration is disclosed. The sensor includes a substrate, a seismic mass, at least one suspension, which fixes the seismic mass to the substrate in a deflectable manner, and at least one piezoresistive and/or piezoelectric element for measuring the angular acceleration. The piezoresistive and/or piezoelectric element is arranged in a cutout of the seismic mass. A corresponding method and uses of the sensor are also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 24, 2012
    Publication date: November 29, 2012
    Applicant: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Reinhard Neul, Torsten Ohms, Mirko Hattass, Daniel Christoph Meisel
  • Publication number: 20120272735
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a micromechanical rotary acceleration sensor including a substrate with at least one anchoring device and at least two flywheel masses. At least one of the flywheel masses is connected to at least one anchoring device by means of a coupling element. The at least one anchoring device is designed in such a manner that the at least two flywheel masses are elastically deflectable from a respective rest position about at least one axis of rotation. The at least two flywheel masses is designed in such a manner that they have different natural frequencies.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 23, 2012
    Publication date: November 1, 2012
    Applicant: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Reinhard Neul, Torsten Ohms, Mirko Hattass, Daniel Christoph Meisel
  • Publication number: 20120060604
    Abstract: A yaw-rate sensor having a substrate and a plurality of movable substructures that are mounted over a surface of the substrate, the movable substructures being coupled to a shared, in particular, central spring element, means being provided for exciting the movable substructures into a coupled oscillation in a plane that extends parallel to the surface of the substrate, the movable substructures having Coriolis elements, means being provided for detecting deflections of the Coriolis elements induced by a Coriolis force, a first Coriolis element being provided for detecting a yaw rate about a first axis, a second Coriolis element being provided for detecting a yaw rate about a second axis, the second axis being oriented perpendicularly to the first axis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 2, 2008
    Publication date: March 15, 2012
    Inventors: Reinhard Neul, Johannes Classen, Torsten Ohms, Burkhard Kuhlmann, Axel Franke, Oliver Kohn, Daniel Christoph Meisel, Joerg Hauer, Udo-Martin Gomez, Kersten Kehr
  • Publication number: 20120031183
    Abstract: A yaw-rate sensor for determining a Coriolis force includes a semiconductor substrate, a mass body mounted so it is movable over the semiconductor substrate, a drive unit for setting the mass body into an oscillating movement, and a detection unit for determining a deflection of the mass body which is caused by the Coriolis force. The detection unit includes a piezoresistive element, whose electrical resistance is a function of the deformation of the piezoresistive element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 3, 2011
    Publication date: February 9, 2012
    Inventors: Reinhard NEUL, Daniel Christoph Meisel
  • Publication number: 20110126621
    Abstract: A rotation-rate sensor having at least one quadrature compensation pattern, which includes at least one first electrode and one second electrode. The second electrode has a first electrode surface and a second electrode surface which are situated opposite to each other. The first electrode is situated in an intermediate space, between the first electrode surface and the second electrode surface. The first electrode surface and also the second electrode surface, over their extension, are at a different distance from the first electrode. The first electrode surface and the second electrode surface of the second electrode are at generally the same distance from each other, over their extension.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 24, 2007
    Publication date: June 2, 2011
    Applicant: ROBERT BOSCH GMBH
    Inventor: Reinhard Neul
  • Publication number: 20110088469
    Abstract: A method and system are provided including a rotation-rate sensor having a substrate, a bearing, a vibrating structure suspended on the bearing by springs in a rotatable manner for performing a planar driving vibration motion, and drive means for producing the planar driving vibration motion of the vibrating structure. The rotation-rate sensor has first evaluation means for detecting a rotation in a first axis of rotation and second evaluation means for detecting a rotation in a second axis of rotation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 8, 2007
    Publication date: April 21, 2011
    Inventors: Reinhard Neul, Johannes Classen, Sebastian Gracki, Burkhard Kuhlmann, Axel Franke, Oliver Kohn, Kersten Kehr, Christian Gerhardt
  • Patent number: 7825840
    Abstract: A delta sigma modulator includes an oscillatory system having a natural frequency and an electronics and a control loop which acts upon the electronics from the oscillatory system and again upon the oscillatory system from the electronics. The control loop provides that a gain in the control loop demonstrates a peaking in a frequency range around the natural frequency of the oscillatory system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2010
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Rainer Willig, Burkhard Kuhlmann, Udo-Martin Gomez, Wolfram Bauer, Reinhard Neul, Christoph Lang, Michael Veith
  • Publication number: 20100251819
    Abstract: A device for damping a movement of a seismic mass of a micromechanical inertial sensor, the device being designed to apply a force to the seismic mass damping the movement of the seismic mass as a function of the values of at least one movement parameter of the seismic mass, the damping being produced electrically.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2010
    Publication date: October 7, 2010
    Inventor: Reinhard NEUL
  • Publication number: 20100122577
    Abstract: An evaluation electronics system for a rotation-rate sensor, having a first and a second seismic mass, is developed for the purpose of ascertaining a rotation rate, acting on the rotation-rate sensor, from a deflection of the first and second seismic masses. The evaluation electronics system, in this instance, has a regulation member in order to minimize an undesired deflection of the first and second seismic masses, caused by interference influences.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 13, 2009
    Publication date: May 20, 2010
    Inventors: Reinhard NEUL, Thorsten Balslink
  • Patent number: 7721030
    Abstract: A method for connecting at least one sensor or actuator to a time-controlled bus system, the sensor or actuator carrying out a signal processing in at least two phases, the signal processing in a first phase taking place at a higher speed than in a second phase, the sensor or actuator being synchronized to a time, which is external to the sensor, of the time-controlled bus system in at least one of the phases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2010
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Thomas Fuehrer, Reinhard Neul
  • Publication number: 20100000321
    Abstract: A yaw rate sensor includes a drive mass element which is situated above a surface of a substrate and is drivable to vibrate by a drive device along a first axis extending along the surface, having a detection mass element, which is deflectable under the influence of a Coriolis force along a second axis perpendicular to the surface, and having a detection device by which the deflection of the detection mass element along the second axis is detectable. Due to the arrangement of the second axis perpendicular to the surface, the yaw rate sensor may be integrated into a chip together with additional yaw rate sensors suitable for detection of rotations about axes of rotation in other directions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 6, 2007
    Publication date: January 7, 2010
    Inventors: Reinhard Neul, Johannes Classen, Axel Franke, Marco Quander, Udo-Martin Gomez, Kersten Kehr
  • Patent number: 7591179
    Abstract: A micromechanical motion sensor is capable of detecting a deflection imparted to an oscillatably mounted bar spring element excited to a permanent periodic oscillation by an electrostatic oscillating drive to which a periodic drive voltage is applied. To compensate non-linearities of the resonance frequency response of the bar spring element, a sum of a normal drive voltage signal and a compensation drive signal may be applied to a comb drive. In an alternative embodiment, separate compensation comb drive units may be additionally provided to the comb drive units used for the oscillation drive and a compensation voltage signal may be applied to them to compensate for the non-linearity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2009
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Dietmar Krieg, Udo-Martin Gomez, Reinhard Neul
  • Publication number: 20080284628
    Abstract: A delta sigma modulator includes an oscillatory system having a natural frequency and an electronics and a control loop which acts upon the electronics from the oscillatory system and again upon the oscillatory system from the electronics. The control loop provides that a gain in the control loop demonstrates a peaking in a frequency range around the natural frequency of the oscillatory system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 13, 2005
    Publication date: November 20, 2008
    Inventors: Rainer Willig, Burkhard Kuhlmann, Udo-Martin Gomez, Wolfram Bauer, Reinhard Neul, Christoph Lang, Michael Veith
  • Patent number: 7316161
    Abstract: A rotation rate sensor having a substrate and a Coriolis element is proposed, the Coriolis element being situated above a surface of a substrate; the Coriolis element being able to be induced to vibrate in parallel to a first axis (X); an excursion of the Coriolis element being detectable, based on a Coriolis force in a second axis (Y), which is provided to be essentially perpendicular to the first axis (X); the first and second axes (X, Y) being provided parallel to the surface of the substrate, wherein force-conveying means are provided, the means being provided to convey a dynamic force effect between the substrate and the Coriolis element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2008
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Rainer Willig, Jochen Franz, Burkhard Kuhlmann, Joerg Hauer, Udo-Martin Gomez, Dieter Maurer, Christian Doering, Wolfram Bauer, Udo Bischof, Reinhard Neul, Johannes Classen, Christoph Lang, Jens Frey
  • Patent number: 7313958
    Abstract: A rotational rate sensor having a substrate and a Coriolis element is proposed, the Coriolis element being situated over a surface of a substrate; a driving arrangement being provided, by which the Coriolis element is induced to vibrations parallel to a first axis; a detection arrangement being provided, by which an excursion of the Coriolis elements is detectable on the basis of a Coriolis force in a second axis that is provided to be essentially perpendicular to the first axis; the first and second axis being parallel to the surface of the substrate; sensor elements that are designated to be at least partially movable with respect to the substrate being provided; a force-conveying arrangement being provided; the force-conveying arrangement being provided to convey a static force effect between the substrate and at least one of the sensor elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2008
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Rainer Willig, Jochen Franz, Burkhard Kuhlmann, Joerg Hauer, Udo-Martin Gomez, Dieter Maurer, Christian Doering, Wolfram Bauer, Udo Bischof, Reinhard Neul, Johannes Classen, Christoph Lang, Jens Frey
  • Publication number: 20070234803
    Abstract: The yaw rate sensor of the present invention has force-conveying means. The central idea of the invention is that the force action conveyed by this arrangement has a frequency such that the frequency of the conveyed force action is an integral multiple of the frequency of the oscillation of the drive element parallel to the X-axis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 13, 2004
    Publication date: October 11, 2007
    Inventors: Udo-Martin Gomez, Reinhard Neul, Kersten Kehr, Marko Rocznik
  • Publication number: 20070180907
    Abstract: A micromechanical motion sensor is capable of detecting a deflection imparted to an oscillatably mounted bar spring element excited to a permanent periodic oscillation by an electrostatic oscillating drive to which a periodic drive voltage is applied. To compensate non-linearities of the resonance frequency response of the bar spring element, a sum of a normal drive voltage signal and a compensation drive signal may be applied to a comb drive. In an alternative embodiment, separate compensation comb drive units may be additionally provided to the comb drive units used for the oscillation drive and a compensation voltage signal may be applied to them to compensate for the non-linearity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 24, 2004
    Publication date: August 9, 2007
    Inventors: Dietmar Krieg, Udo-Martin Gomez, Reinhard Neul
  • Patent number: 7134337
    Abstract: An exemplary embodiment of the present invention creates a micromechanical rotational rate sensor having a first Coriolis mass element and a second Coriolis mass element which may be situated over a surface of a substrate. An exemplary embodiment of a micromechanical rotational rate sensor may have an activating device by which the first Coriolis mass element and the second Coriolis mass element are able to have vibrations activated along a first axis. An exemplary embodiment of a micromechanical rotational rate sensor may have a detection device by which deflections of the first Coriolis mass elements and of the second Coriolis element are able to be detected along a second axis, which is perpendicular to the first axis, on the basis of a correspondingly acting Coriolis force. The first axis and second axis may run parallel to the surface of the substrate. The detecting device may have a first detection mass device and a second detection mass device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2006
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Rainer Willig, Andreas Thomae, Burkhard Kuhlmann, Joerg Hauer, Udo-Martin Gomez, Siegbert Goetz, Christian Doering, Michael Fehrenbach, Wolfram Bauer, Udo Bischof, Reinhard Neul, Karsten Funk, Markus Lutz, Gerhard Wucher, Jochen Franz
  • Publication number: 20060107738
    Abstract: An exemplary embodiment of the present invention creates a micromechanical rotational rate sensor having a first Coriolis mass element and a second Coriolis mass element which may be situated over a surface of a substrate. An exemplary embodiment of a micromechanical rotational rate sensor may have an activating device by which the first Coriolis mass element and the second Coriolis mass element are able to have vibrations activated along a first axis. An exemplary embodiment of a micromechanical rotational rate sensor may have a detection device by which deflections of the first Coriolis mass elements and of the second Coriolis element are able to be detected along a second axis, which is perpendicular to the first axis, on the basis of a correspondingly acting Coriolis force. The first axis and second axis may run parallel to the surface of the substrate. The detecting device may have a first detection mass device and a second detection mass device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 9, 2006
    Publication date: May 25, 2006
    Inventors: Rainer Willig, Andreas Thomae, Burkhard Kuhlmann, Joerg Hauer, Udo-Martin Gomez, Siegbert Goetz, Christian Doering, Michael Fehrenbach, Wolfram Bauer, Udo Bischof, Reinhard Neul, Karsten Funk, Markus Lutz, Gerhard Wucher, Jochen Franz
  • Patent number: 6925413
    Abstract: A method and a system for detecting the spatial movement state of moving objects, e.g., vehicles. Due to a, for example, non-cartesian arrangement of four rotational rate sensors and/or acceleration sensors, it is also possible to obtain a redundant signal in addition to the desired useful signal indicating the spatial movement state, e.g., the rotational movement and/or acceleration in space; if this redundant signal is large enough in comparison with the rotational rate actually applied, it may be used for detection of the size of the error and the defective sensor. The four sensors are mounted, for example, on a sensor platform forming a three-sided truncated pyramid so that all possible three-way combinations of sensors are mutually linearly independent. The accuracy about the vertical axis is defined by the angle of inclination of the side faces of the truncated pyramid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2005
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Dietmar Krieg, Reinhard Neul, Dorothea Papathanassiou, Roland Mueller-Fiedler, Michael Knauss