Patents Assigned to Valeo Schalter und Sensoren GmbH
  • Publication number: 20240012152
    Abstract: A method for operating a detection device for determining distance variables in which distances characterise objects detected by the detection device is disclosed. From at least one amplitude-modulated electrical send signal at least one scanning signal is generated, which is sent into at least one monitoring region of the detection device. From at least one echo signal of at least one scanning signal reflected in the at least one monitoring region at least one amplitude-modulated electrical receive signal is determined. From at least one electrical send signal and at least one electrical receive signal at least one distance variable is determined. When determining the at least one distance variable at least one adjustment is carried out. A temperature adjustment is carried out in which at least one temperature adjustment variable is applied to at least one distance variable.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 23, 2021
    Publication date: January 11, 2024
    Applicant: Valeo Schalter und Sensoren GmbH
    Inventors: Christoph Parl, Jonas Krause, Frank Selbmann
  • Publication number: 20240004047
    Abstract: An ultrasonic transceiver (1) for a vehicle comprises a plastics housing (2), an ultrasonic diaphragm (3), a sound transducer element (4) for stimulating vibrations and detecting vibrations of the ultrasonic diaphragm (3), and an electrically conductive contact element (6), arranged in the interior (5) of the plastics housing (2), for making electrical contact with the sound transducer element (4), wherein the plastics housing (2) and the contact element (6) are directly and positively connected to one another by caulking of at least one plastics element (8) that is formed in one piece with the plastics housing (2).
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 12, 2021
    Publication date: January 4, 2024
    Applicant: Valeo Schalter und Sensoren GmbH
    Inventors: Fabian Haag, Paul Bou Saleh, Hans Wilhelm Wehling
  • Patent number: 11860310
    Abstract: The invention relates to an emitter device (8) for an optical detection apparatus (3) of a motor vehicle (1), which is configured in order to scan a surrounding region (4) of the motor vehicle (1) by means of a light beam (10), and which comprises a light source (13) for emitting the light beam (10) and a guiding unit (15), the guiding unit (15) being configured in order to guide the light beam (10) emitted onto the guiding unit (15) by the light source (13) at different scanning angles (?). The light source (13) for emitting the light beam (10) comprises at least two separately driveable emitter elements (13a, 13b), which are configured in order to emit the light beam (10) onto the guiding unit (15) at angles of incidence (?1, ?2) corresponding to predetermined setpoint values (??3, ??2, ??1, ?0, +?1, +?2, +?3) of the scanning angle (?) in order to generate a predetermined setpoint field of view (16) of the emitter device (8).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: VALEO SCHALTER UND SENSOREN GMBH
    Inventors: Lin Lin, Peter Horvath, Thomas Schuler
  • Patent number: 11860053
    Abstract: A torque sensor device for detecting a torque applied to a shaft, includes a magnetic arrangement, a stator arrangement and a magnetic sensor arrangement. The magnetic arrangement is configured for generating at least one magnetic field. A magnetic flux can be generated in the stator arrangement. The magnetic arrangement and the stator arrangement are movable relative to each other in the circumferential direction. The magnetic arrangement and the stator arrangement are arranged relative to each other so that, by a relative movement between the magnetic arrangement and the stator arrangement in the circumferential direction about a center axis of the torque sensor device, a first magnetic flux with a first magnetic flux direction and a second magnetic flux with a second flux direction opposite to the first flux direction can be generated in the stator arrangement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: VALEO SCHALTER UND SENSOREN GMBH
    Inventor: Ekkehart Fröhlich
  • Publication number: 20230417922
    Abstract: A receiving device of a detection device for monitoring a monitoring region for objects using electromagnetic scanning signals is disclosed. The device has a signal converting means for converting electromagnetic signals originating from electromagnetic scanning signals into electric signals and a frequency analyzing means for analyzing the frequency of signals. The frequency analyzing means has at least one spectral analyzing means, by which magnetic signals are analyzed to form at least one electromagnetic spectrum that is output in a spectrum output range of the at least one spectral analyzing means. At least two signal converting means, by which separate electric signals are ascertained, are assigned to different sections of a spectrum output range of the spectral analyzing means. The different sections of the spectrum output range correspond to different frequency ranges of an electromagnetic spectrum.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 1, 2022
    Publication date: December 28, 2023
    Applicant: Valeo Schalter und Sensoren GmbH
    Inventors: Christoph Parl, Thomas Schuler, Wensi Zheng
  • Publication number: 20230415728
    Abstract: A method for operating a parking assistance system for a vehicle involves a) receiving an optical image of an environment of the vehicle and a digital environment map representing the environment of the vehicle, the digital environment map including at least one designated parking area, b) selecting, for each designated parking area, a region of interest in the received optical image corresponding to the respective designated parking area, c) detecting, in each selected region of interest, lines and/or symbols provided on the ground, d) assigning one of many parking slot classes to each selected region of interest based on the detected lines and/or symbols, and e) determining, for each designated parking area, if the respective designated parking area corresponding to the selected region of interest is a potential parking slot based on the parking slot class assigned to the corresponding region of interest.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 19, 2021
    Publication date: December 28, 2023
    Applicant: Valeo Schalter und Sensoren GmbH
    Inventors: Clautilde Yvette Nana Mboyo, Paul Moran, Piotr Szczytowski
  • Patent number: 11852755
    Abstract: A method for providing a digital sensor signal (DS) from an ultrasonic sensor (16) for signal transmission to a signal receiver (28) is disclosed, in which a digital output signal (OS) from the ultrasonic sensor (16) is processed to form the digital sensor signal for signal transmission. Provision is made for the processing to comprise the following steps: (i) determining a signal change (SC) of successive values of the output signal (OS), (ii) scaling this signal change (SC) by means of a variable scaling factor (SF) which is specified by a scaling scheme known to the ultrasonic sensor (16) and the signal receiver (28), and (iii) outputting the scaled signal change (SC) as the digital sensor signal (DS).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: VALEO SCHALTER UND SENSOREN GMBH
    Inventors: Charles Thin, Jean-Francois Bariant, Anto Michael
  • Publication number: 20230408661
    Abstract: A method for determining soiling of a first ultrasonic sensor of a motor vehicle in which a first ultrasonic signal is emitted by means of the first ultrasonic sensor and the first reflected ultrasonic signal is received by means of the first ultrasonic sensor, and in which a second ultrasonic signal that differs from the first ultrasonic signal is emitted into the environment substantially at the same time as the first ultrasonic signal by a second ultrasonic sensor, wherein the second ultrasonic signal is received by means of the first ultrasonic sensor and the first received ultrasonic signal is compared with the second received ultrasonic signal by an electronic computing device, and the soiling is determined on the basis of the comparison.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 9, 2021
    Publication date: December 21, 2023
    Applicant: Valeo Schalter und Sensoren GmbH
    Inventors: Michael Hallek, Denis Aschkenasi
  • Publication number: 20230408639
    Abstract: A received-signal processing apparatus of a detection device for monitoring at least one monitoring region for objects by means of electromagnetic scanning signals is disclosed. The received-signal processing apparatus has at least one frequency analysis means for the frequency analysis of electromagnetic received signals, which are determined from echo signals of electromagnetic scanning signals reflected in at least one monitoring region. The received-signal processing apparatus has a plurality of functionally parallel frequency filters having at least partially different frequency passbands. At least one frequency filter has at least one frequency labeling means, by which the passed received signal can be labeled with a frequency characteristic which characterizes the frequency passband of the at least one passage-allowing frequency filter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 17, 2021
    Publication date: December 21, 2023
    Applicant: Valeo Schalter und Sensoren GmbH
    Inventors: Christoph Parl, Thomas Schuler, Wensi Zheng
  • Publication number: 20230408658
    Abstract: A method for verifying the functionality of a laser scanner includes a housing with a light-permeable window, a transmission unit inside the housing, a deflection unit, and a detector unit inside the housing. At least one test signal is transmitted by the transmission unit during a test phase. The deflection unit is oriented so that the at least one test signal is not directed to the window. Components of the at least one test signal are detected by the detector unit, and based on this detection, at least two detector signals are generated. A pulse width is ascertained for each of the detector signals by a computing unit, and a ratio of the pulse width of a first detector signal to the pulse width of a second detector signal is ascertained. The operability of the transmitter unit and/or the detector unit is verified on the basis of said ratio.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 8, 2021
    Publication date: December 21, 2023
    Applicant: Valeo Schalter und Sensoren GmbH
    Inventors: Nikolai Sergeev, Daniel Thiel
  • Publication number: 20230408657
    Abstract: According to a method for verifying the functionality of a laser scanner (2b) comprising a housing (4) with a light-permeable window (5), a transmission unit (6) inside the housing (4), a deflection unit (10), and a detector unit (7) inside the housing (4), at least one test signal (15) is transmitted by the transmission unit (6) during a test phase. The deflection unit (10) is oriented in such a way that the at least one test signal (15) is not directed to the window (5). Components of the at least one test signal are detected by the detector unit, and based on said detection, at least two detector signals are generated. A computing unit ascertains a pulse width for each of the detector signals and calculates a sum of the pulse widths. The operability of the transmission unit and/or the detector unit is verified on the basis of said sum.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 8, 2021
    Publication date: December 21, 2023
    Applicant: Valeo Schalter und Sensoren GmbH
    Inventor: Nikolai Sergeev
  • Patent number: 11840276
    Abstract: The subject matter of the invention is a method for detecting faults related to wheels of a motor vehicle in a driving situation, comprising: —a step (S1) of automatically determining a first series of corrective steering wheel angles applied successively to force the vehicle to follow a path parallel to a first rectilinear portion of a traffic lane; —a step (S2) of automatically detecting, from the corrective steering wheel angles of the first series, the presence of a fault affecting a pair of steering wheels of the vehicle; and, optionally: —a step (S3) of estimating a type of fault associated with the detected fault, a step (S4) of identifying the steering wheel of the pair of wheels affected by the fault; and —a step (S5) of generating a warning message for the attention of the driver of the motor vehicle, the message including the estimated type of fault and the wheel identified as having the fault.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2023
    Assignee: VALEO SCHALTER UND SENSOREN GMBH
    Inventors: Rachid Benmokhtar, Salma Moujtahid
  • Patent number: 11840249
    Abstract: A method for supporting a driver of a motor vehicle in a manual parking procedure of the motor vehicle in a surroundings of the motor vehicle, is disclosed. At least one indicator characterizing the parking procedure is acquired and, depending on an evaluation of the indicator, a performance of a parking procedure is recognized and, depending thereon, at least one parking-procedure-specific function of the motor vehicle is activated to support the driver during the parking procedure, wherein a performance of the parking procedure is recognized when at least a first indicator that characterizes the parking procedure in a surroundings-specific manner is acquired and if, after the acquisition of the first indicator, at least one second indicator that characterizes the parking procedure in a motor-vehicle-specific manner is acquired.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2023
    Assignee: VALEO SCHALTER UND SENSOREN GMBH
    Inventors: Uwe Mischke, Fabian Thunert
  • Patent number: 11837849
    Abstract: The invention relates to a control circuit (50) for pulsed control of a light-emitting means (52), in particular an LED or a laser diode (52), having a switched-mode power supply unit (54) with a first switch (64) arranged in a primary circuit of the switched-mode power supply unit (54), wherein the switched-mode power supply unit (54) has a primary-side connector (62) for connection to a supply voltage, a secondary-side connector (67) for supplying the light-emitting means (52) and a switching input (65) for operating the first switch (64), having a storage capacitor (68) arranged between the secondary-side connector (67) and a ground (66), having a second switch (70) arranged in a current path (71) in parallel with the storage capacitor (68), wherein the light-emitting means (52) is positionable in the current path (71), and having a control unit (72) to control the first and the second switch (64, 70), wherein the control unit (72) is designed to operate the first switch (64) in order to induce at least on
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: VALEO SCHALTER UND SENSOREN GMBH
    Inventors: Felix Mueller, Juergen Nies, Jochen Schenk, Daniel Stricker-Shaver
  • Patent number: 11830257
    Abstract: A method, apparatus, and computer-readable medium for confirming a perceived position of a traffic light, by obtaining identifiers and results of a first perception of traffic lights associated with the identifiers, the results of the first perception including a first estimation of an ellipse encompassing each of the traffic lights, receiving results of a second perception of traffic lights associated with the identifiers, the results of the second perception including a second estimation of an ellipse encompassing each of the traffic lights, calculating, based on the first perception and the second perception, association parameters for each possible pair of estimated ellipses, selecting, based on the calculated association parameters for each possible pair of estimated ellipses, matching pairs of estimated ellipses, and fusing each matching pair of estimated ellipses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2023
    Assignee: Valeo Schalter und Sensoren GmbH
    Inventors: Thomas Heitzmann, Romain Demarets
  • Publication number: 20230377813
    Abstract: The invention relates to an input device (1) for safety-relevant functions of a motor vehicle, having a switch contact (3) with a first connection (4) and a mating contact (5) with a second connection (6). A first resistor (9) is connected between a voltage supply connection (8) and one connection (4, 6) of the switch element (2) and a second voltage supply connection (7) is connected to the other connection (4, 6) of the switch element (2). A measuring node (10), via which an actuation-dependent voltage can be captured, is provided between the first resistor (9) and the associated connection (4, 6). The problem addressed by the invention is that of developing input devices of the type in question such that they can be used for safety-relevant applications in the motor vehicle. This problem is solved by the switch contact (3) having a third connection (12) at which a second resistor (13), which is connected to the second connection (6) of the switch element (2), is provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 6, 2021
    Publication date: November 23, 2023
    Applicant: Valeo Schalter und Sensoren GmbH
    Inventors: Sascha Staude, Florian Leucht, Benjamin Dietz, Raphael Mack
  • Publication number: 20230375702
    Abstract: An ultrasonic measuring method involves activating an ultrasonic transceiver at a multiplicity of transmission/reception positions along a lateral direction to transmit a respective transmission signal in a transverse direction and receive a respective received signal waveform. Echo signals in the respective received signal waveform are identified and a set of reflection points are formed by trilaterating a respective reflection point multiple times based on two respective received signal waveforms and a respective echo signal from each of the two received signal waveforms. Multiple pairs made of a primary reflection point and a secondary reflection point are formed, identified on the basis of a position-based criterion as reflection points of a direct and/or indirect reflection from the same object section. An object height at one of the reflection points is characterized as high or low.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 8, 2021
    Publication date: November 23, 2023
    Applicant: Valeo Schalter und Sensoren GmbH
    Inventor: Nicolas Jecker
  • Publication number: 20230373470
    Abstract: A method for measuring lateral surroundings of a vehicle provided with a lateral ultrasonic transceiver is disclosed. The method involves actuating the ultrasonic transceiver at at least two transmission and reception positions along a lateral direction for the purpose of transmitting a respective transmission signal in a transverse direction across the direction of travel and receiving a respective received signal characteristic reflected from the lateral surroundings; identifying a number of echo signals in the respective received signal characteristic; trilaterating a bearing of a first reflection point in the lateral surroundings, from which the chronologically first echo signals in the respective received signal characteristic were reflected; selecting an echo signal for a double echo determination; and determining a height of an object as being tall if a double echo is detected or short if no double echo is detected.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2021
    Publication date: November 23, 2023
    Applicant: Valeo Schalter und Sensoren GmbH
    Inventor: Nicolas Jecker
  • Patent number: 11821752
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for localizing and enhancing a digital map through a motor vehicle. The method includes receiving a digital partial map representing an environment of the motor vehicle and capturing an image of the environment of the motor vehicle by a sensor arrangement of the motor vehicle. The motor vehicle is localized in the environment by comparing the received digital partial map with the image of the environment of the motor vehicle. The digital partial map is enhanced on the basis of the image of the environment, and the enhanced digital partial map and/or the image of the environment (U) is transmitted to a database for enhancing the digital map.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignee: VALEO SCHALTER UND SENSOREN GMBH
    Inventors: Kichun Jo, Paulo Resende, Benazouz Bradai, Myoungho Sunwoo, Sungjin Cho, Chansoo Kim
  • Patent number: 11801859
    Abstract: A method for operating a driver assistance system for a motor vehicle driven in an at least partially automated manner includes learning a trajectory in a learning mode for driving the vehicle in a first automated manner along the trajectory. Subsequently, the vehicle is driven in the first automated manner along the learnt trajectory in an operating mode following the learning mode. While the vehicle is being driven along the trajectory in the operating mode, at least one transition from a private area to a public area is detected. Additional data, including current traffic data related to driving the vehicle in the public area, is acquired and provided for the driver assistance system. The motor vehicle is driven along the learnt trajectory in a second automated manner in the public area using the additional data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2023
    Assignee: Valeo Schalter und Sensoren GmbH
    Inventors: Dimitrios Tzempetzis, Markus Heimberger, Stefanie Prinzhausen