Patents by Inventor Tobias Brengartner

Tobias Brengartner 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: 20160138964
    Abstract: A method for calibration or adjustment of any oscillatable unit with a mathematical model describing the oscillatable unit, wherein the oscillatable unit interacts with a medium located in a container, comprising the steps as follows: exciting the oscillatable unit via a real input signal to execute oscillations; the real output signal of the oscillatable unit is ascertained; the real output signal is digitized and a real output sequence is produced; the real input signal is digitized and a digital input sequence is produced; the digital input sequence is fed to a function block, which provides the mathematical model of the oscillatable unit in interaction with the medium. The mathematical model is defined by at least two sensor-specific variables; a virtual output sequence is produced via the mathematical model.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 19, 2014
    Publication date: May 19, 2016
    Applicant: Endress+ Hauser GmbH + Co. KG
    Inventors: Tobias Brengartner, Gerd Bechtel, Sascha D'Angelico
  • Publication number: 20160109285
    Abstract: A method to determine and/or monitor at least one process variable of a medium with at least one vibration-capable unit. The vibration-capable unit is excited to mechanical vibrations by means of an electrical excitation signal of an adjustable frequency; wherein the mechanical vibrations are transduced into a received electrical signal, which is characterized at least by a frequency and/or a phase and/or an amplitude. The excitation signal is generated based on the received signal; wherein the voltage values of the received signal are sampled at specified predetermined points in time, starting from the excitation signal. The real part and the imaginary part of the received signal are determined from the sampled voltage values of the received signal by means of a Goertzel algorithm; wherein at least one Goertzel coefficient—in particular the number of the sample values and/or an operating frequency and/or a sample frequency—is provided for performing the Goertzel algorithm.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 13, 2015
    Publication date: April 21, 2016
    Inventors: Tobias Brengartner, Lukas Gersbacher
  • Patent number: 9252787
    Abstract: A method for the control of a phase shift between a transmission signal and a received signal of an electromechanical transducer unit to a predetermined value in an oscillatory circuit. The received signal is sampled at discrete points in time predetermined based on the transmission signal. Sampled voltage values are compared with desired values, which the received signal assumes at the respective points in time, when the predetermined phase shift is present, and, in the case of a deviation of a voltage value from its desired value, based on the sign of the deviation, the frequency of the transmission signal is decreased or increased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignee: Endress + Hauser GmbH + Co. KG
    Inventors: Martin Urban, Tobias Brengartner
  • Publication number: 20150135826
    Abstract: An apparatus for determining and/or monitoring at least one process variable of a medium in a container, comprising: a mechanically oscillatable unit; an electrodynamic transducer unit for exciting the oscillatable unit by means of an exciter signal to execute mechanical oscillations and for receiving the mechanical oscillations of the oscillatable unit and transducing them into an electrical, received signal; and an electronics unit, which at least determines and/or monitors the process variable based on the received signal. The invention is distinguished by features including that the electrodynamic transducer unit has exactly one coil, which serves both as a drive element as well as also a receiving element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 22, 2012
    Publication date: May 21, 2015
    Applicant: Endress + Hauser GmbH + Co. KG
    Inventors: Alexander Muller, Sergej Lopatin, Tobias Brengartner
  • Patent number: 8955377
    Abstract: A method and an apparatus for determining or monitoring a predetermined fill level, a phase boundary or a density of a medium in a container with an oscillatable unit. The oscillatable unit is placed at the height of the predetermined fill level and is excited to oscillate successively with discrete exciter frequencies following one another in a frequency scanning operation (sweep) within a predeterminable frequency band in the working range of the oscillatable unit. The corresponding oscillations of the oscillatable unit are received in the form of received signals; wherein that exciter frequency is ascertained in the frequency scanning operation, at which the oscillatable unit oscillates with an oscillation frequency, which has a predetermined phase shift between the transmission signal and the received signal; and wherein the transmitting/receiving unit excites the oscillatable unit to oscillate with the ascertained oscillation frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: Endress + Hauser GmbH + Co. KG
    Inventors: Martin Hortenbach, Martin Urban, Dietmar Frühauf, Tobias Brengartner, Frank Ruhnau, Michael Siegel
  • Publication number: 20140373607
    Abstract: Apparatus for determining and/or monitoring at least one process variable of a medium in a container, comprising: a mechanically oscillatable unit; an electromechanical transducer unit, which has at least one piezoelectric or inductive, transducer element, which excites the oscillatable unit by means of an exciter signal to execute mechanical oscillations and which receives oscillations from the oscillatable unit and converts them into an electrical, received signal; a reference element having a first component of electrically adjustable size, wherein the reference element is connected in parallel with the electromechanical transducer unit and supplied with the same exciter signal and produces a reference signal uninfluenced by the oscillations of the oscillatable unit, and an electronics unit, which extracts a wanted signal from the received signal and the reference signal and, based on the wanted signal, determines and/or monitors the process variable.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 22, 2012
    Publication date: December 25, 2014
    Inventors: Max Bauer, Tobias Brengartner, Martin Urban, Michael Siegel
  • Patent number: 8869597
    Abstract: A method for operating an apparatus which has an oscillatable unit. The oscillatable unit is excited to oscillate by means of a first frequency sweep within a predetermined frequency band with successive, discrete exciter frequencies of increasing or decreasing frequency. A first exciter frequency is ascertained, in the case of which, during the first frequency sweep, at least one predeterminable criterion is fulfilled. The oscillatable unit is excited by means of a second frequency sweep, wherein the frequency band, compared with the first frequency sweep, is run through in the opposite direction. A second exciter frequency is ascertained, in the case of which, during the second frequency sweep, the at least one predeterminable criterion is fulfilled. From the first exciter frequency and the second exciter frequency, via formation of an average, a measuring frequency for determining and/or monitoring at least one process variable is determined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: Endress + Hauser GmbH + Co. KG
    Inventors: Tobias Brengartner, Martin Urban, Michael Siegel
  • Publication number: 20140245834
    Abstract: A vibronic measuring device for determining at least one process variable of a medium. Included are: an oscillatable unit; a transmitting/receiving unit, which, by means of a transmission signal, excites the oscillatable unit to execute mechanical oscillations and receives the mechanical oscillations and converts such into an analog, electrical, received signal; and a control/evaluation unit (MC), which receives the analog, received signal, digitizes such and determines the process variable therefrom and which produces the transmission signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 9, 2011
    Publication date: September 4, 2014
    Applicant: Endress +Co. KG
    Inventors: Martin Urban, Tobias Brengartner, Alexander Muller
  • Publication number: 20130106477
    Abstract: A method for the control of a phase shift between a transmission signal and a received signal of an electromechanical transducer unit to a predetermined value in an oscillatory circuit. The received signal is sampled at discrete points in time predetermined based on the transmission signal. Sampled voltage values are compared with desired values, which the received signal assumes at the respective points in time, when the predetermined phase shift is present, and, in the case of a deviation of a voltage value from its desired value, based on the sign of the deviation, the frequency of the transmission signal is decreased or increased.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 20, 2011
    Publication date: May 2, 2013
    Applicant: ENDRESS + HAUSER GMBH + CO. KG
    Inventors: Martin Urban, Tobias Brengartner
  • Publication number: 20130036816
    Abstract: An apparatus for determining and/or monitoring at least one process variable, especially a fill level, a density or a viscosity, of a medium in a container, including: a mechanically oscillatable structure protruding into the container during operation, with at least one oscillatory characteristic dependent on the process variable; an electromechanical transducer; and electronics, for producing an exciter signal connected to the input side of the transducer, which has a first filter, wherein the first filter filters out a wanted signal from the received signal; and which determines and/or monitors the process variable based on the wanted signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 24, 2011
    Publication date: February 14, 2013
    Applicant: Endress + Hauser GmbH +Co. KG
    Inventors: Martin Urban, Tobias Brengartner
  • Publication number: 20120279283
    Abstract: A method for operating an apparatus which has an oscillatable unit. The oscillatable unit is excited to oscillate by means of a first frequency sweep within a predetermined frequency band with successive, discrete exciter frequencies of increasing or decreasing frequency. A first exciter frequency is ascertained, in the case of which, during the first frequency sweep, at least one predeterminable criterion is fulfilled. The oscillatable unit is excited by means of a second frequency sweep, wherein the frequency band, compared with the first frequency sweep, is run through in the opposite direction. A second exciter frequency is ascertained, in the case of which, during the second frequency sweep, the at least one predeterminable criterion is fulfilled. From the first exciter frequency and the second exciter frequency, via formation of an average, a measuring frequency for determining and/or monitoring at least one process variable is determined.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 3, 2012
    Publication date: November 8, 2012
    Applicant: Endress + Hauser GmbH + Co. KG
    Inventors: Tobias Brengartner, Martin Urban, Michael Siegel
  • Publication number: 20120085165
    Abstract: A method and an apparatus for determining or monitoring a predetermined fill level, a phase boundary or a density of a medium in a container with an oscillatable unit. The oscillatable unit is placed at the height of the predetermined fill level and is excited to oscillate successively with discrete exciter frequencies following one another in a frequency scanning operation (sweep) within a predeterminable frequency band in the working range of the oscillatable unit. The corresponding oscillations of the oscillatable unit are received in the form of received signals; wherein that exciter frequency is ascertained in the frequency scanning operation, at which the oscillatable unit oscillates with an oscillation frequency, which has a predetermined phase shift between the transmission signal and the received signal; and wherein the transmitting/receiving unit excites the oscillatable unit to oscillate with the ascertained oscillation frequency.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 23, 2010
    Publication date: April 12, 2012
    Applicant: Endress + Hauser GmbH + Co. KG
    Inventors: Martin Hortenbach, Martin Urban, Dietmar Frühauf, Tobias Brengartner, Frank Ruhnau, Michael Siegel