Patents by Inventor Wolf-Christian Mueller

Wolf-Christian Mueller 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: 8635809
    Abstract: The invention specifies an anti-trapping device, comprising a motor for driving a pivotable actuating element of a motor vehicle, a sensor for contactlessly identifying an obstacle in the way of the actuating element with an electrode, which has a plurality of segments for producing an external electrical field with respect to a mating electrode and a control unit. The electrode extends in a radial direction with respect to the pivotable actuating element and is split in the radial direction into the plurality of segments, which can each be evaluated separately for the purpose of generating an interference signal. The control unit is designed to drive the motor as a function of an interference signal from one of the segments. Such an anti-trapping device has particularly high flexibility when driving the pivotable actuating element if an obstacle in the way of the pivotable actuating element has been detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: Brose Fahrzeugteile GmbH & Co. Kommanditgesellschaft
    Inventors: Holger Wuerstlein, Thomas Weingaertner, Wolf-Christian Mueller
  • Patent number: 8421482
    Abstract: An anti-pinching device (18) for a pivotable actuating element (6) of a motor vehicle (2) is specified. Said device comprises a capacitive sensor (8) which is intended to contactlessly detect an obstacle in the path of the actuating element (6) and has an electrode (14) for generating an external electric field opposite a counterelectrode (16), wherein the electrode (14) extends in a radial direction (R) of the pivoting movement of the actuating element (6), and a control unit (10) which is set up to interpret a change in a measurement capacitance (CM), which is formed between the electrode (14) and the counterelectrode (16), as pinching when the changed measurement capacitance (CM) exceeds a triggering threshold (A) which is predefined on the basis of an opening angle (?) of the pivotable actuating element (6) and to track the triggering threshold (A).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2013
    Assignee: Brose fahrzeugteile GmbH & Co. Kommanditgesellschaft
    Inventors: Holger Wuerstlein, Thomas Weingaertner, Wolf-Christian Mueller
  • Patent number: 8212513
    Abstract: a method and a device for detecting the rotation of a brush-operated d.c. motor comprising a number of winding branches which are electrically connected between brushes, during the operation of the motor, by means of plates, according to the rotational angle. According to the invention, an alternating voltage signal is modulated on the basis of a supply direct voltage for the brushes, by which means the course of the complex resistance of the direct current motor is determined and used for the detection of rotation. In this way, the invention enables a cost-effective rotation detection that can be used in motor vehicle technology without requiring additional mechanical components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2012
    Assignee: Brose Fahrzeugteile GmbH & Co. Kommanditgesellschaft, Hallstadt
    Inventors: Holger Wuerstlein, Wolf-Christian Mueller, Wolfgang Uebel
  • Patent number: 8156826
    Abstract: An anti-pinch sensor (10,13,40,45) with an associated evaluation circuit (33,48) is disclosed, which is suitable in particular for recognizing an obstacle in the way of an actuating element (e.g., 9) of a motor vehicle (1). The anti-pinch sensor (10,13,40,45) comprises a sensor body, which contains a sensing electrode (17), for generating an external electric field with respect to a counter-electrode (25), and a pressure sensor (34,34?) decoupled from the sensing electrode (17), for detecting a mechanical pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2012
    Assignee: Brose Fahrzeugteile GmbH & Co. Kommanditgesellschaft
    Inventors: Carsten Abert, Thomas Weingaertner, Wolf-Christian Mueller, Holger Wuerstlein
  • Publication number: 20100287837
    Abstract: An anti-pinching device (18) for a pivotable actuating element (6) of a motor vehicle (2) is specified. Said device comprises a capacitive sensor (8) which is intended to contactlessly detect an obstacle in the path of the actuating element (6) and has an electrode (14) for generating an external electric field opposite a counterelectrode (16), wherein the electrode (14) extends in a radial direction (R) of the pivoting movement of the actuating element (6), and a control unit (10) which is set up to interpret a change in a measurement capacitance (CM), which is formed between the electrode (14) and the counterelectrode (16), as pinching when the changed measurement capacitance (CM) exceeds a triggering threshold (A) which is predefined on the basis of an opening angle (?) of the pivotable actuating element (6) and to track the triggering threshold (A).
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 28, 2007
    Publication date: November 18, 2010
    Inventors: Holger Wuerstlein, Thomas Weingaertner, Wolf-Christian Mueller
  • Patent number: 7821275
    Abstract: An anti-pinch sensor, particularly for detecting an obstacle in the path of an actuating element of a motor vehicle is provided, having a sensor body, a measuring electrode, which is disposed in the sensor body and to which a measuring potential can be applied, a calibrating electrode, which is electrically disconnected and disposed in the sensor body adjacent to the measuring electrode, and a control unit. The control unit controls the measuring electrode and the calibrating electrode such that the measuring potential and the calibrating potential are equal in a measuring phase, and differ from each other in a calibrating phase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2010
    Assignee: Brose Fahrzeugteile GmbH & Co. Kommanditgesellschaft
    Inventors: Holger Wuerstlein, Thomas Weingaertner, Wolf-Christian Mueller
  • Publication number: 20100072933
    Abstract: a method and a device for detecting the rotation of a brush-operated d.c. motor comprising a number of winding branches which are electrically connected between brushes, during the operation of the motor, by means of plates, according to the rotational angle. According to the invention, an alternating voltage signal is modulated on the basis of a supply direct voltage for the brushes, by which means the course of the complex resistance of the direct current motor is determined and used for the detection of rotation. In this way, the invention enables a cost-effective rotation detection that can be used in motor vehicle technology without requiring additional mechanical components.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 22, 2009
    Publication date: March 25, 2010
    Inventors: Holger Wuerstlein, Wolf-Christian Mueller, Wolfgang Uebel
  • Publication number: 20100050787
    Abstract: An anti-pinch sensor (10,13,40,45) with an associated evaluation circuit (33,48) is disclosed, which is suitable in particular for recognizing an obstacle in the way of an actuating element (e.g., 9) of a motor vehicle (1). The anti-pinch sensor (10,13,40,45) comprises a sensor body, which contains a sensing electrode (17), for generating an external electric field with respect to a counter-electrode (25), and a pressure sensor (34,34?) decoupled from the sensing electrode (17), for detecting a mechanical pressure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 20, 2007
    Publication date: March 4, 2010
    Applicant: Brose Fahrzeugteile GmbH & Co.
    Inventors: Carsten Abert, Thomas Weingaertner, Wolf-Christian Mueller, Holger Wuerstlein
  • Publication number: 20100024301
    Abstract: The invention specifies an anti-trapping device (26), comprising a motor (M) for driving a pivotable actuating element (6) of a motor vehicle (2), a sensor (8) for contactlessly identifying an obstacle in the way of the actuating element (6) with an electrode (14), which has a plurality of segments (12), for producing an external electrical field with respect to a mating electrode (15) and a control unit (20). The electrode (14) extends in a radial direction (R) with respect to the pivotable actuating element (6) and is split in the radial direction (R) into the plurality of segments (12), which can each be evaluated separately for the purpose of generating an interference signal. The control unit (20) is designed to drive the motor (M) as a function of an interference signal from one of the segments (12). Such an anti-trapping device (26) has particularly high flexibility when driving the pivotable actuating element (6) if an obstacle in the way of the pivotable actuating element (6) has been detected.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 28, 2007
    Publication date: February 4, 2010
    Applicant: Brose Fahrzeugteile GMBH & Co., Kommanditgesellschaft
    Inventors: Holger Wuerstlein, Thomas Weingaertner, Wolf-Christian Mueller
  • Publication number: 20090256578
    Abstract: An anti-pinch sensor, particularly for detecting an obstacle in the path of an actuating element of a motor vehicle is provided, having a sensor body, a measuring electrode, which is disposed in the sensor body and to which a measuring potential can be applied, a calibrating electrode, which is electrically disconnected and disposed in the sensor body adjacent to the measuring electrode, and a control unit. The control unit controls the measuring electrode and the calibrating electrode such that the measuring potential and the calibrating potential are equal in a measuring phase, and differ from each other in a calibrating phase.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 13, 2009
    Publication date: October 15, 2009
    Inventors: Holger WUERSTLEIN, Thomas WEINGAERTNER, Wolf-Christian MUELLER