Patents Represented by Attorney O'Shea, Getz + Kosakowski, P.C.
  • Patent number: 7180907
    Abstract: To transmit an anisochronic data stream on an isochronic transmission route with a plurality of channels over a transmission network, a number of channels is reserved by the transmitter before beginning the transmission, wherein the sum of the transmission capacities of the reserved channels just exceeds the bandwidth of the asynchronous data stream. During the course of transmission, the data of the anisochronic data stream are formed into packets; each packet is transmitted over the reserved channels. After a packet has been sent, unused portions of the reserved channels are filled with filler data that is discarded at the receiver, until sufficient data are again available at the transmitter to begin transmission of the next packet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2007
    Assignee: Harman/Becker Automotive Systems GmbH
    Inventors: Andreas Stiegler, Harald Schöpp, Frank Bähren
  • Patent number: 7168225
    Abstract: A saddle pad for laying on the back of a riding animal comprises a first side panel, a second side panel and a web from which the first and second side panels hang. The web includes a lengthwise groove configured and arranged to overly the spine of the riding animal, so that the panels resting on the flanks of the riding animal have a greater thickness than the web connecting the first and second panels to one another over the spine, where undersides of the first and second panels that contact the riding animal are made of lambskin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2007
    Assignee: E.A. Mattes GmbH
    Inventors: Peter Mattes, Peter Menet
  • Patent number: 7171111
    Abstract: An improved scheme for dissociating water into hydrogen and oxygen is provided in which a two dimensional matrix of electrodes is provided in a reaction vessel. The electrodes are connected to a source of electrical power for providing a potential difference there between sufficient for dissociating the water. The matrix includes a smallest two dimensional repeating group that consists of four electrodes arranged in a quadrilateral clockwise plus, minus, plus, minus. The hydrogen can be used for burning, running an internal combustion engine, or for providing electrical power in a fuel cell. Core water from the matrix can also be used directly as heating water. Direct current, or switched direct current can be used for generating hydrogen while AC sources can be used for generating heat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2007
    Inventor: Carlton W. Sheldon
  • Patent number: 7166232
    Abstract: According to a method for producing a solid body (1) including a microstructure (2), the surface of a substrate (3) is provided with a masking layer (6) that is impermeable to a substance to be applied. The substance is then incorporated into the substrate regions not covered by the masking layer (6). A heat treatment is used to diffuse the substance into a substrate region covered by the masking layer (6) such that a concentration gradient of the substance is created in the substrate region covered by the masking layer (6), proceeding from the edge of the masking layer (6) inward with increasing distance from the edge. The masking layer (6) is then removed to expose the substrate region under this layer, and a near-surface layer of the substrate (3) in the exposed substrate region is converted by a chemical conversion reaction into a coating (9) which has a layer thickness profile corresponding to the concentration gradient of the substance contained in this near-surface layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2007
    Assignee: Micronas GmbH
    Inventors: Guenter Igel, Mirko Lehmann
  • Patent number: 7167113
    Abstract: A sample rate converter for converting a digital input signal having a first sample rate into a digital output signal having a second sample rate, wherein the second sample rate is different from the first sample rate. The sample rate converter includes a digital interpolation filter receiving the input signal and comprising a digital zero-phase filter, and a digital polynom interpolator connected to the interpolation filter and providing the output signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2007
    Assignee: Harman Becker Automotive Systems GmbH
    Inventor: Seyed Ali Azizi
  • Patent number: 7164735
    Abstract: A phase-locked loop locks relatively quickly to a pilot tone of the stereo-multiplex signal when a new transmitter is tuned in. The stereo-multiplex signal may be multiplied in a multiplier by the quadrature component of the pilot tone generated by a digital oscillator. The result is a control signal that is provided to a low-pass filter, and the low-pass filtered control signal is provided as a control signal to an oscillator which may include a table of length N and a counter for addressing the table entries. The zero phase angle ?0 may be set by a counter offset n0 by incrementing or decrementing the counter. A table may be utilized having a virtual length N+ which is larger than the length N of the real table. To access the real table, however, the corresponding MSBs of the actual count n(k) are used which match the address space of the real table of length N.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2007
    Assignee: Harman Becker Automotive Systems GmbH
    Inventors: Stefan Gierl, Christoph Benz
  • Patent number: 7162038
    Abstract: Audio source selection circuit (QW) for an audio signal processor with inputs for source signals (F1, F2, NA, NB) provided by at least one source (Q1, Q2), with a processing device (V) which forms pairs of signals from the source signals, with a settable source selection logic (Qs) to which the channels of the processing device (V) are applied, and with outputs coupled to signal outputs of the settable source selection logic (Qs) and each forming an output channel (Co1, Co2, Co3), the processing device (V) including an automatic audio mode setting device which generates suitable intermediate channels (Cz1, Cz2, Cz3, Cz4) from the source signals (F1, F2, NA, NB) according to a source- and application-related mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2007
    Assignee: Micronas GmbH
    Inventors: Martin Winterer, Stefan Mueller, Thomas Hilpert
  • Patent number: 7162364
    Abstract: A motor vehicle navigation system comprises a position sensor that senses the geographical position of the navigation system and provides a first navigation system position signal indicative thereof. The navigation system system also includes a navigation computing unit that recieves the first navigation system position signal and transmits onto a data bus (i) a first position signal indicative of the position of a trip starting location, (ii) a second position signal indicative of a trip destination location and (iii) the first navigation system position signal. A road map memory device includes map data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2007
    Assignee: Harman Becker Automotive Systems GmbH
    Inventors: Frank Bähren, Michael Becker, Harald Schöpp
  • Patent number: 7158880
    Abstract: A navigation system for use in a motor vehicle receives starting position data and destination position data and computes driving directions between the starting and destination positions. The navigation system includes a first memory unit that stores a basic navigation database including road map information, and a receiver that receives supplemental navigation data including digital road maps, and provides received supplemental navigation data that is stored in a second memory unit. A navigation computer computes driving directions between the starting position and the destination position using information from the basic navigation database and the received supplemental navigation data, and outputs driving directions for presentation to a user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2007
    Assignee: Harman Becker Automotive Systems GmbH
    Inventors: Erich Geiger, Dirk Lappe, Joachim Wietzke
  • Patent number: 7145604
    Abstract: In a method and device for determining the spacing between first and second sequences of signal values, first and second successive signal values of the first sequence have assigned thereto a third signal value of the second sequence, the third signal value being located temporally or spatially between the first and second signal values of the first sequence.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2006
    Assignee: Micronas GmbH
    Inventors: Marko Hahn, Peter Rieder
  • Patent number: 7145944
    Abstract: An equalizer includes at least two first mutually interfering equalizer sections, and at least two second interference-correcting equalizer sections, arranged in series. Each of the second equalizer sections corresponds with one first equalizer section, such that although each corresponding equalizer section has the same center frequency, the second equalizer sections have an equalization response opposite the interference effect, and the gain of the corresponding second equalizer section at the respective common center frequency contains the negative gain of at least one first equalizer section adjacent to the corresponding first equalizer section at the center frequency of the corresponding first equalizer section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2006
    Assignee: Harman Becker Automotive Systems GmbH
    Inventor: Seyed Ali Azizi
  • Patent number: 7142249
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for interpolating a pixel from an intermediate line of a first field of a sequence of interlaced fields.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2006
    Assignee: Micronas GmbH
    Inventors: Marko Hahn, Guenter Scheffler, Peter Rieder, Christian Tuschen, Markus Schu
  • Patent number: 7139682
    Abstract: A sensor system with variable sensor-signal processing comprises an integrated circuit sensor unit. The integrated circuit sensor unit includes a sensor element that provides a sensed signal in response to a measurement variable, and a memory device that stores adjustable coefficient values. The integrated circuit sensor units also includes a sensor signal processing unit that processes the sensed signal using adjustable coefficient values to provide a sensor output signal on a output line. The sensor system receives updated adjustable coefficient values via the output line and stores the updated adjustable coefficient values in the memory device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2006
    Assignee: Micronas GmbH
    Inventor: Ralf Janke
  • Patent number: 7138712
    Abstract: A processing device embodied in an integrated circuit may be divided into first and second functional units. A mount for the integrated circuit may be assigned to the first functional unit, which may define the external electrical connections of the processing device. Processing may take place in a second functional unit of the processing device, whose essential connections may normally be accessible from outside via the external connections of the first functional unit. The processor device having first and second functional units in a mount may be similar to a hybrid circuit but may serve a different purpose. The first functional unit, which may also comprise more than one monolithic integrated circuit, may define the external connections and may make available suitable matching circuits for the second functional unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2006
    Assignee: Micronas GmbH
    Inventors: Klaus Heberle, Ulrich Sieben
  • Patent number: 7138874
    Abstract: A two-stage amplifier includes a first stage and a second stage that are DC-connected through a coupling capacitor Cp. A charge pump generates a bias voltage Vp that is applied across the coupling capacitor Cp leads to maintain the time average of the voltage across said coupling capacitor constant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2006
    Assignee: MICRONAS GmbH
    Inventors: Ulrich Theus, Juergen Kessel
  • Patent number: 7136114
    Abstract: A television receiver includes a tuner stage, a selective filter stage connected to the tuner stage, and a intermediate-frequency stage connected to the selective filter stage. A field-strength-detection stage is also provided, which generates a field strength signal proportional to the field strength of the received signal. The selective filter stage includes a transfer function that is modifiable by a control signal derived from the field strength signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2006
    Assignee: Harman Becker Automotive Systems GmbH
    Inventors: Michael Zahm, Erich Geiger
  • Patent number: 7131695
    Abstract: A vehicle seat section adjusting device includes a seat section adjusting element for adjusting the width of a seat section. The adjusting device includes a mounting mechanism for movably supporting the seat section adjusting element on the seat, and a drivable adjusting mechanism for adjusting the seat section adjusting element from or to a rest position relative to the mounting mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2006
    Assignee: IMS Gear GmbH
    Inventors: Wolfram H. Hofschulte, Andreas Margrander, Sven Ritter, Rudolf Rackl, Stefan Feulner
  • Patent number: 7133478
    Abstract: A device for detecting and suppressing noise includes a noise detection device that receives and processes an input signal to determine if the input signal contains noise and provides a detected noise signal indicative of whether or not noise is detected in the input signal. A noise filter receives the input signal and when the detected noise signal does not indicate the presence of noise the noise filter provides an output signal equal to input signal. When the detected noise signal indicates the presence of noise the noise filter processes the input signal through a first filter to provide a filtered signal such that the output signal is equal to the filtered signal. The noise filter comprises a control circuit that receives the input signal and the filtered signal and in response dynamically adjusts a cut-off frequency control signal that controls a cut-off frequency of the first filter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2006
    Assignee: Micronas GmbH
    Inventor: Matthias Vierthaler
  • Patent number: 7130344
    Abstract: An adaptive equalizer comprises a decision device; a decision feedback equalizer coupled to the decision device; an FIR filter coupled to the decision device; and a trellis decoder coupled to the decision device, adapted to provide a reliability output and a decoded output. An error signal is generated by subtracting an output of the decision feedback equalizer from an output of the decision device, the error signal being used to update coefficients of the taps of the FIR filter and the decision feedback equalizer. A magnitude of the change to the coefficients is selected based at least in part the reliability output of the trellis decoder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2006
    Assignee: Micronas Semiconductors, Inc.
    Inventors: Jingsong Xia, Richard W. Citta, Scott M. LoPresto, Wenjun Zhang, Hangbin Song
  • Patent number: 7124655
    Abstract: To measure a physical parameter, a two-wire sensor produces pulse-width modulated signals (PWM) whose pulse width is preferably modulated as a function of the physical parameter to be measured. To indicate an error or a malfunction, the two-wire sensor provides an error signal with a specifiable pulse-width ratio that is preferably 1:1, while asymmetric pulse-width ratios are provided for the measurement signals (PWM). To measure a physical parameter that assumes only one of two states or values, the two-wire sensor produces a first measurement signal with a specifiable asymmetric pulse-width ratio and a second measurement signal formed by inversion of the first measurement signal. A plurality of two-wire sensors can for example be connected to a common two-wire line and operated in time-multiplex mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2006
    Assignee: Micronas GmbH
    Inventor: Lothar Blossfeld