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).
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Patent number: 8635809Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: July 28, 2007Date of Patent: January 28, 2014Assignee: Brose Fahrzeugteile GmbH & Co. KommanditgesellschaftInventors: Holger Wuerstlein, Thomas Weingaertner, Wolf-Christian Mueller
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Patent number: 8421482Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: July 28, 2007Date of Patent: April 16, 2013Assignee: Brose fahrzeugteile GmbH & Co. KommanditgesellschaftInventors: Holger Wuerstlein, Thomas Weingaertner, Wolf-Christian Mueller
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Patent number: 8212513Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: September 22, 2009Date of Patent: July 3, 2012Assignee: Brose Fahrzeugteile GmbH & Co. Kommanditgesellschaft, HallstadtInventors: Holger Wuerstlein, Wolf-Christian Mueller, Wolfgang Uebel
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Patent number: 8156826Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: April 20, 2007Date of Patent: April 17, 2012Assignee: Brose Fahrzeugteile GmbH & Co. KommanditgesellschaftInventors: Carsten Abert, Thomas Weingaertner, Wolf-Christian Mueller, Holger Wuerstlein
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Publication number: 20100287837Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: July 28, 2007Publication date: November 18, 2010Inventors: Holger Wuerstlein, Thomas Weingaertner, Wolf-Christian Mueller
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Patent number: 7821275Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: April 13, 2009Date of Patent: October 26, 2010Assignee: Brose Fahrzeugteile GmbH & Co. KommanditgesellschaftInventors: Holger Wuerstlein, Thomas Weingaertner, Wolf-Christian Mueller
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Publication number: 20100072933Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: September 22, 2009Publication date: March 25, 2010Inventors: Holger Wuerstlein, Wolf-Christian Mueller, Wolfgang Uebel
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Publication number: 20100050787Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: April 20, 2007Publication date: March 4, 2010Applicant: Brose Fahrzeugteile GmbH & Co.Inventors: Carsten Abert, Thomas Weingaertner, Wolf-Christian Mueller, Holger Wuerstlein
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Publication number: 20100024301Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: July 28, 2007Publication date: February 4, 2010Applicant: Brose Fahrzeugteile GMBH & Co., KommanditgesellschaftInventors: Holger Wuerstlein, Thomas Weingaertner, Wolf-Christian Mueller
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Publication number: 20090256578Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: April 13, 2009Publication date: October 15, 2009Inventors: Holger WUERSTLEIN, Thomas WEINGAERTNER, Wolf-Christian MUELLER