Patents by Inventor Thomas Niemann

Thomas Niemann 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: 9704309
    Abstract: A method for recognizing and classifying damage incidents and/or contact incidents, in particular on motor vehicles, the different forms of damage incident shall be detected, evaluated and classified by way of detecting and evaluating at least one impact sound signal. An amplitude envelope of the impact sound signal is determined and the impact sound signal is classified based on the time progression of the amplitude envelope. This involves assigning different damage incidents or contact incidents to different kinds of time progression of the amplitude envelope.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2017
    Assignee: Hella KGAA Hueck & Co.
    Inventors: Thomas Niemann, Klaas Hauke Baumgartel, Karl-Ludwig Krieger
  • Patent number: 9689788
    Abstract: In a method for measuring fine particulates in the vicinity of a motor vehicle with an optical receiving device, at least one LED (2, 3) arranged inside the motor vehicle lights up an outside air region. The optical receiving device is designed to capture the area under examination in a spatially localized manner and takes an intensity measurement in an area that is lit by the LED. The intensities measured are analyzed for diffraction patterns that depend on the size of the fine particulates. Additionally, a portion of the light that is coupled into the windshield is also analyzed for the presence of water on the windshield.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2017
    Assignee: HELLA KGAA HUECK & CO.
    Inventors: Carsten Thun, Thomas Niemann, Ole Morisse, Alexander Gohmann
  • Publication number: 20160377588
    Abstract: In a sensor device for determining the evaporation pressure of a fluid, in particular of a fluidic fuel, in a vehicle with at least one heating element, the invention provides that the sensor device has a filling level sensor with a circuit carrier and that the heating element is arranged on the circuit carrier of the filling level sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2016
    Publication date: December 29, 2016
    Inventors: Torsten Eggers, Hagen Muller, Thomas Niemann
  • Patent number: 9518883
    Abstract: In a fluid pressure sensor with a pressure sensing membrane and an electronic circuit, the electronic circuit is in a section realized so thin that a membrane is formed in this section of the electronic circuit. In the other sections, the electronic circuit is realized thicker than in the section that forms the membrane. This makes it possible to manufacture a particularly compact fluid pressure sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2016
    Assignee: HELLA KGAA HUECK & CO.
    Inventors: Thomas Niemann, Jurgen Palloks
  • Patent number: 9470622
    Abstract: A sensor device for detecting moisture on a windscreen has a transmitter and a receiver and optics arranged between the transmitter and the receiver. The optics have an upper plane for connection to a windscreen, a decoupling region serving to decouple the electromagnetic rays from the optics into the windscreen, and a coupling region serving to couple the electromagnetic radiation from the windscreen into the optics, and which even for a small construction shall supply a usable signal. The decoupling region has at least one surface inclined relative to the upper plane of the optics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2016
    Assignee: HELLA KGAA HUECK & CO.
    Inventors: Thomas Niemann, Carsten Thun
  • Patent number: 9464941
    Abstract: A high-temperature sensor comprising a sensor element and a device for holding and positioning the sensor element in a point of use, especially for automotive uses, has a holding part with a pouch molded into it in which the sensor element is received such as to be flush with the surface. In this way, the sensor element is reliably held in a high-temperature sensor and its safe operation is guaranteed also when the sensor is subject to vibrations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2016
    Assignee: Hella KGaA Hueck & Co.
    Inventors: Thomas Niemann, Jürgen Palloks
  • Patent number: 9464556
    Abstract: The invention relates to a high-temperature sensor comprising contact wires in a metal tube, preferably a bent metal tube for arrangement especially inside the exhaust gas system of an internal combustion engine, and spacer bodies distributed in rows along the contact wires so as to maintain the contact wires at a predetermined distance to the inner wall of the metal tube. According to the invention, every spacer body is approximately ovoid, the diameter of the center portion of the egg being not wider than the inside width of the as yet unbent metal tube. The spacer bodies are injection-molded polymer ceramic parts molded onto the contact wires.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2016
    Assignee: HELLA KGAA HUECK & CO.
    Inventors: Thomas Niemann, Torsten Eggers
  • Patent number: 9459131
    Abstract: The aim is to achieve a particularly robust and reliable embodiment of a filling level sensor with several thermoelements for measuring the filling level of a liquid in a receptacle. This is achieved in that the thermoelements are arranged in parallel with one another and extend from the bottom upwards. The thermoelements are of different heights so that, depending on the filling level, one part of the thermoelements is flooded and another part is not. This can be used to derive information regarding the filling level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: HELLA KGAA HUECK & CO.
    Inventor: Thomas Niemann
  • Patent number: 9452726
    Abstract: A method for recording vehicle-relevant data, in particular for detecting and evaluating damage to a vehicle in which structure-borne noise caused by an event, such as damage or contact, is detected and evaluated. The noise is recorded with its entire frequency spectrum, the frequency spectrum is divided into a lower frequency range and an upper frequency range, and an event is characterized by at least one amplitude in the upper frequency range. The event having an amplitude in the upper frequency range is included in an envelope curve analysis, in which a lower power density and upper power density are determined for a lower and upper frequency range, respectively. A relative measured value is determined from the ratio of the upper power density to the lower power density, an evaluation of the event is made by means of the relative measured value, and the event is stored.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2016
    Assignee: Hella KGaA Hueck & Co.
    Inventors: Thomas Niemann, Klaas Hauke Baumgaertel, Karl-Ludwig Krieger
  • Publication number: 20160252452
    Abstract: In a method for measuring fine particulates in the vicinity of a motor vehicle with an optical receiving device, at least one LED (2, 3) arranged inside the motor vehicle lights up an outside air region. The optical receiving device is designed to capture the area under examination in a spatially localised manner and takes an intensity measurement in an area that is lit by the LED. The intensities measured are analysed for diffraction patterns that depend on the size of the fine particulates. Additionally, a portion of the light that is coupled into the windshield is also analysed for the presence of water on the windshield.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2016
    Publication date: September 1, 2016
    Inventors: Carsten THUN, Thomas NIEMANN, Ole MORISSE, Alexander GOHMANN
  • Publication number: 20160229398
    Abstract: With a method for at least partially automatically controlling, in particular automatically parking a vehicle, in particular a motor vehicle, provision is made according to the invention for the movement of the vehicle to be predicted, for the position of a body outside the vehicle to be detected, for a possible spatial and/or time-related contact area between the vehicle and the body on the outer shell of the vehicle to be predicted, for a structure-borne sound measurement to be taken in the predicted spatial and/or time-related contact area and for a warning signal to be issued to the control unit if a previously specified criterion is met by the measured structure-borne sound signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 5, 2016
    Publication date: August 11, 2016
    Inventors: Klaas Hauke BAUMGAERTEL, Thomas NIEMANN
  • Publication number: 20160229232
    Abstract: In a method for detecting the wear of wearing tires of a vehicle, wherein the tires consist of an elastic material, signals are emitted by signal generators introduced into the tires, wherein only signal generators (6, 7, 8, 10) located on the tire surface emit a signal. The emitted signal is received by a sensor arranged in the vehicle, and information processed from the received signal is made available to the driver of the vehicle. Enhanced, in particular automatic measurement of the tire tread is enabled by means of such a method.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 5, 2016
    Publication date: August 11, 2016
    Inventors: Hauke BAUMGAERTEL, Thomas NIEMANN, Carsten Thun
  • Publication number: 20160209370
    Abstract: A device for detecting a structure-borne sound signal, in particular for detecting a structure-borne sound signal caused by an event of damage on a component to be monitored, having at least one structure-borne sound sensor, at least one signal-conducting connection of the structure-borne sound sensor to an evaluation device, and a protective body. The structure-borne sound sensor has a structure-borne sound-conducting connection to the protective body and the protective body has a structure-borne sound-conducting connection to the component to be monitored.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 14, 2016
    Publication date: July 21, 2016
    Inventors: Hauke BAUMGAERTEL, Thomas NIEMANN, Bastian KANNING, Volker SKWAREK
  • Patent number: 9377402
    Abstract: A method for detecting a degree of wetting of a glass pane, in particular a windscreen of a motor vehicle, is provided. A transmitter is arranged on the inside relative to a glass pane and emits electromagnetic waves, which are reflected according to the total reflection principle on the outer, from the transmitter's point of view the opposite surface of the glass pane, and which are received by a receiver arranged on the inside relative to the glass pane. Electromagnetic waves are emitted further from a transmitter. Waves pass through the glass pane and are scattered on particles or droplets in front of the glass pane and are received by a receiver arranged on the inside relative to the glass pane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2016
    Assignee: HELLA KGaA HUECK & CO.
    Inventors: Thomas Niemann, Carsten Thun
  • Patent number: 9372102
    Abstract: In a gas sensor comprising a housing, a membrane and a sensor element, wherein the housing comprises a measuring chamber and an air supply opening, the sensor element is disposed in the measuring chamber and the membrane separates the measuring chamber from the air supply opening, a particularly good air exchange should be achieved. This is accomplished by providing a flow guiding device in the air supply opening of the housing. The flow guiding device here projects into the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: HELLA KGaA HUECK & CO.
    Inventors: Thomas Niemann, Jürgen Palloks, Volker Skwarek, Falko Strackerjan
  • Publication number: 20160114764
    Abstract: In a method for detecting rain on a windshield, whose degree of wetting is determined with at least one sensor value, it is provided that the sensor value is determined piezoelectrically, wherein vibrations on the windshield are detected, which change depending on the degree of wetting or raindrops hitting the windshield. As a result, the entire windshield serves as a detection surface, thereby yielding a high accuracy.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 23, 2015
    Publication date: April 28, 2016
    Inventors: Thomas Niemann, Olaf Lüdtke, Almut Schlarmann, Jürgen Palloks, Cevin Czsich, Jörg Sturmann
  • Patent number: 9322952
    Abstract: In a method for detecting rain on a windshield, whose degree of wetting is determined with at least one sensor value, it is provided that the sensor value is determined piezoelectrically, wherein vibrations on the windshield are detected, which change depending on the degree of wetting or raindrops hitting the windshield. As a result, the entire windshield serves as a detection surface, thereby yielding a high accuracy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignee: HELLA KGAA HUECK & CO.
    Inventors: Thomas Niemann, Olaf Lüdtke, Almut Schlarmann, Jürgen Palloks, Cevin Czsich, Jörg Stürmann
  • Publication number: 20160097854
    Abstract: With a sensor device for detecting at least one contact event on a vehicle, in particular a motor vehicle, with at least one impact sound sensor for detecting at least one impact sound signal, at least one impact sound sensor comprises at least one signal-transferring connection to at least one signal processing means already existing in the vehicle and associated with at least one other sensor means. With this arrangement at least one impact sound sensor comprises an impact-sound-transmitting connection to a section of the outer shell of the vehicle. This allows contact events on the vehicle to be detected.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 2, 2015
    Publication date: April 7, 2016
    Inventors: Klaas Hauke Baumgartel, Thomas Niemann
  • Patent number: 9255919
    Abstract: For a gas sensor, in particular for automobile applications, comprising a housing, which has a measurement chamber, wherein at least one sensor element having connecting wires is associated with the measurement chamber, the housing has a bottom part and a top part that covers the bottom part and each sensor element is arranged in the bottom part while suspended by the connecting wires thereof. At least one side wall of the bottom part favorably has an assembly opening, which is designed in such a way that a tool arm that retains the sensor element can be inserted into the bottom part from the outside through the assembly opening and can be brought into an assembly position in the area of the opening edge of the bottom part so that the connecting wires of the sensor element are in bondable contact with the associated connection surfaces. Thus especially easy assembly is possible.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2016
    Assignee: Hella KGAA Hueck & Co.
    Inventors: Thomas Niemann, Torsten Eggers
  • Publication number: 20160018249
    Abstract: A device for determining the filling level of a fluid in a container, in particular in the oil reservoir of a vehicle, is provided. The device has at least one sensor element, at least one control unit, at least one energy source, and at least one transmitting unit for wireless transmission of measured data. The at least one energy source is a thermal generator, in particular a thermocouple. The device has at least one energy storage device. The thermal generator is configured for measuring a time-dependent temperature gradient, the thermal generator has a signal-conducting connection to the control unit, and the control unit is configured for placing the device from an energy-saving state into a ready-to-measure state. A method for determining the filling level of a fluid in a container using the device, and a vehicle with the device, in particular a motor vehicle, are also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 21, 2015
    Publication date: January 21, 2016
    Inventors: Thomas NIEMANN, Juergen Palloks, rer. nat. Bastian KANNING