Patents Assigned to VDO Automotive AG
  • Publication number: 20080200047
    Abstract: An electrical contact-making element for electrical carrier components in an electronic housing is particularly suited for automotive applications. The electrical contact-making element is in the form of a U-shaped plug pin having a base limb and two side limbs. There is provided a robust, reliable electrical contact connection between a plurality of electrical carrier components, such as printed circuit boards, for example, which ensures secure contact is made even in the case of external influences such as vibrations, for example, and can be fitted, by way of a simple press-in mechanism, at the end of the fitting process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 20, 2006
    Publication date: August 21, 2008
    Applicant: VDO AUTOMOTIVE AG
    Inventor: Bernhard Lichtinger
  • Publication number: 20080201559
    Abstract: A cost-effective safety concept for safety-relevant applications in motor vehicles accordingly activates a load not directly from a central unit, but instead indirectly via a switching device. The latter has a first and a second register for the acquisition of the same control data from the central unit, and a third register for outputting data to the load. A transmission device transmits data from the second register to the third register. A first comparison logic compares a content of the second register with that of the third register and sends an interrupt to the central unit, when the two contents are not identical. A second comparison logic compares the content of the first and second registers and enables the transmission device, when the contents of the two registers are identical and otherwise blocks the transmission device. The last held state is thus maintained in the event of an error.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 19, 2008
    Publication date: August 21, 2008
    Applicant: VDO AUTOMOTIVE AG
    Inventor: Bernhard Forstl
  • Publication number: 20080191855
    Abstract: A tire monitoring system in or for a vehicle for determining tire-specific parameters has a distributed bus architecture. At least one intelligent receiving device is configured to receive transmit signals of a wheel electronic system. The receiving device has a signal processing device that carries out an evaluation of the received transmit signals and/or an evaluation of received signals of another subscriber of the bus architecture. The invention also relates to methods for operating the intelligent receiving devices of a distributed bus architecture of the novel tire monitoring or tire pressure system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 11, 2008
    Publication date: August 14, 2008
    Applicant: VDO AUTOMOTIVE AG
    Inventors: Alexander Fink, Frank Fischer, Gregor Kuchler
  • Publication number: 20080183929
    Abstract: A method of transmitting data on a data line between a central control device and a decentralized data processing device. During a normal operation of the system, the central control device periodically sends synchronization pulses to the at least one data processing device via the data line in order to request data packets, and the decentralized data processing device sends the data thereof to be transmitted, as data packets, to the central control device, following the synchronization pulse. The data line is embodied as a data bus. Each of the decentralized data processing devices is configured by the central control device before the first transmission of data packets to the central control device. In order to configure the system, a bi-directional communication is carried out between the central control device and the at least one decentralized data processing device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2006
    Publication date: July 31, 2008
    Applicant: SIEMENS VDO AUTOMOTIVE AG
    Inventor: Wolfgang Gottswinter
  • Patent number: 7403635
    Abstract: The invention relates to a device (1) and method for detection of an object or a person in the interior of a motor vehicle. The device (1) is operated by means of an analytical unit (3), such that the device (1), for detecting an object or a person in the interior of a motor vehicle, comprising a image recording unit (2) and an analytical unit (3) for the image data transmitted from the image recording unit (3), is operated in a first operating mode while an acceleration threshold value is not determined to be exceeded by the analytical unit (3) and in a second operation mode while the acceleration threshold value is determined to be exceeded by the analytical unit (3).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2008
    Assignee: VDO Automotive AG
    Inventors: Horst Belau, Ludwig Ertl, Thorsten Köhler
  • Publication number: 20080156511
    Abstract: A control unit for a vehicle component such as a transmission ideally has a reduced production cost. The aim is achieved by transferring parts from a rigid circuit board to a flexible circuit board. The flexible circuit board is guided through a housing that accommodates the rigid circuit board and a portion of the flexible circuit board.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2006
    Publication date: July 3, 2008
    Applicant: SIEMENS VDO AUTOMOTIVE AG
    Inventors: Gerald Hauer, Josef Loibl, Thomas Rohrl, Mike Vogel
  • Publication number: 20080157941
    Abstract: The invention relates to an electronic device (1) that is to be incorporated into a motor vehicle. Said device (1) comprises a radio module (18) for establishing a short-distance wireless connection to an authorized cellular telephone (2) which is identified based on an identification key for the authorized cellular telephone (2) stored in a memory element (28) of the electronic device (1). In order to make it easier to retrieve the electronic device after the same has been stolen, the electronic device (1) further comprises means for detecting dismounting of the electronic device (1) from a motor vehicle as well as means for automatically establishing a short-distance wireless connection to another cellular telephone and automatically initializing a mobile wireless connection to said other cellular telephone when an identification key for the other cellular telephone is to be or is stored for the first time in the memory element (28) after restarting the electronic device once dismounting has been detected.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 24, 2006
    Publication date: July 3, 2008
    Applicant: Siemens VDO Automotive AG
    Inventors: Thomas Jatschka, Alfred Pohl, Robert Tschofen, Gernot Zimmermann
  • Publication number: 20080154560
    Abstract: A method for stimulating wheel electronics systems of single tires of at least one tire group in a motor vehicle. The wheel electronics systems are stimulated with a low frequency trigger signal, as follows: a trigger signal is emitted from an LF trigger to the wheel electronics systems of the relevant tire group at a variably adjustable first transmission field strength. Radio frequency signals are transmitted from those wheel-side wheel electronics systems, at which a sufficiently high transmission field strength of the trigger signal has arrived containing an item of trigger information, to a vehicle-side receiving unit. A determination is made of the number of RF signals received by the vehicle-side receiving unit, each containing one item of trigger information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2007
    Publication date: June 26, 2008
    Applicant: SIEMENS VDO AUTOMOTIVE AG
    Inventors: Alexander Fink, Frank Fischer, Gregor Kuchler
  • Publication number: 20080137319
    Abstract: A motherboard is shielded by way of a shielding metal sheet. A shielding metal sheet according to the invention is embodied such that the dimensions thereof in the longitudinal and transverse direction do not exceed the dimensions of the motherboard, thus advantageously allowing the shielding metal plate to be mounted directly on the motherboard. By directly mounting the shielding metal plate on the motherboard, the motherboard can also be transported or mounted on a main board as a unit along with the protecting shielding metal plate. The novel device is particularly suitable for decentralized parts production processes and finishing processes of entire shielded electronic systems requiring a lot of components, especially for applications in motor vehicles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 22, 2005
    Publication date: June 12, 2008
    Applicant: SIEMENS VDO AUTOMOTIVE AG
    Inventors: Werner Bobrowski, Claus Peter, Dietmar Schlegel, Johann Schneeberger
  • Patent number: 7376402
    Abstract: A radio receiver having an FM band tuner, an AM band tuner, a controller coupled to both said tuners, and a radio data (RD) decoder for providing radio data. The RD decoder is coupled for receiving radio data from at least one of the tuners which is tuned to a radio program. The RD decoder is coupled to the controller for switching the radio receiver from FM band to AM band or vice versa based on radio program frequency correspondence data included in the radio data. The radio receiver is advantageous since it allows for automated cross switching between different frequencies whereon a same radio program is broadcast. This is particularly advantageous if the radio receiver, such as placed in a car, leaves the broadcast coverage area. User intervention is thus obviated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2008
    Assignee: VDO Automotive AG
    Inventors: Jean-Pierre Lecomte, Frits De Jong
  • Publication number: 20080099700
    Abstract: An optical module includes a lens arrangement which is used to project electromagnetic radiation to a semiconductor element and a light source disposed in the surrounding area of the radiation inlet area of the lens arrangement. The lens arrangement and the light source are provided with a covering which is permeable to electromagnetic radiation. The covering is provided with a radiation barrier that blocks the radiation which is emitted by the light source and prevents a direct injection of radiation which is emitted by the light source into the lens arrangement.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 28, 2006
    Publication date: May 1, 2008
    Applicant: SIEMENS VDO AUTOMOTIVE AG
    Inventors: Henryk Frenzel, Harald Schmidt
  • Publication number: 20080033608
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and a device for assigning an electronic wheel unit, which is assigned to a wheel of a vehicle and is for ascertaining at least one characteristic parameter of the wheel, to a side of the vehicle. In this case, a direction of rotation of the wheel is determined by means of the wheel unit. The direction of rotation of the wheel which is determined by means of the wheel unit is compared with a direction of rotation of another wheel which is determined by means of another wheel unit assigned to the other wheel, wherein the wheel and the other wheel are arranged on different sides of the vehicle on a shared axle. Depending on the comparison of the determined directions of rotation of the wheel and of the other wheel, the wheel unit is assigned on the basis of a first procedure for assigning the wheel unit to the side of the vehicle or on the basis of a second procedure for assigning the wheel unit to the side of the vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 7, 2007
    Publication date: February 7, 2008
    Applicant: SIEMENS VDO AUTOMOTIVE AG
    Inventors: Water Baumgartner, Frank Fischer
  • Patent number: 7222788
    Abstract: To minimise the power consumption when registering an electronic ticket, a bidirectional communication in a higher frequency band is initiated when the electronic ticket has received a wake-up signal in a lower frequency band via a highly sensitive receive module. During entry stamping, a wake-up telegram containing an identity of the detection space is transferred to and stored in the electronic ticket. The wake-up telegram is received in the lower frequency band by another receive module in the electronic ticket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2007
    Assignee: Siemens VDO Automotive AG
    Inventors: Bruno Wenger, Alfred Lauper
  • Patent number: 7143049
    Abstract: A method and a system for registering tickets includes defining a waking zone with a transceiver unit having a transmitting unit, defining a registration zone with a registration transceiver unit, providing tickets having a processor, a memory, a ticket receiver, and a ticket transceiver for communicating between the waking zone and the tickets, transmitting a first information unit from the transmitting unit to the ticket receiver of a ticket located in the waking zone, activating the ticket transceiver of the ticket located in the waking zone with an item of information contained in the first information unit, at a beginning of ticket registration, setting up a bi-directional communication between the registration transceiver unit and a ticket transceiver of a ticket located in the registration zone through additional information units, and registering ticket presence to establish a service to be used or a defined presence.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2006
    Assignee: Siemens VDO Automotive AG
    Inventors: Rolf Bächtiger, Christoph Cronimund, Gérard Salzgeber, Reto Schreppers, Bruno Wenger, Willi Brändli, Aldo Rebsamen
  • Patent number: 6711390
    Abstract: Method for processing transmitter and program related data in an FM RDS receiver and receiver executing the method, providing a band scanning search for detecting FM RDS transmitters exceeding a predetermined reception quality level. To enhance efficiency in data processing and use of storage capacity, transmitter related data including tuning data is stored separately from program related RDS data. Per each detected transmitter a quality factor indicating the quality in reception quality thereof is being allocated to each detected RDS transmitter and stored in a first memory bank, along with the relevant tuning data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2004
    Assignee: Siemens VDO Automotive AG
    Inventor: Paulus Louis Guido Moers
  • Patent number: 6644054
    Abstract: A method and a device for operating a refrigerant system in an air conditioning unit for an automobile, in which air flowing through an evaporator is cooled via a refrigerant, the delivery rate of which is set by means of a compressor operated by a drive. The speed of the drive, operated independently of the automobile engine, is determined as a function of a suction pressure to be set on the compressor, thereby providing optimal energy consumption by the system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2003
    Assignee: Siemens VDO Automotive AG
    Inventors: Detlef Kettner, Werner Schiller
  • Patent number: 6611888
    Abstract: In a data memory (2) which is arranged in a vehicle, an interface (6), which is equipped with a plug connection (5), is used to connect a receiver unit (1). The individual software modules which, depending on the design, are necessary for decoding the signals of the receiver unit (1) may be called up by means of a memory unit (7) for the data memory (2). The memory unit (7) is arranged at the interface (6). A precautionary storage of all the relevant software modules in the data memory (2), and the associated laborious manual configuration can thus be eliminated and incorrect assignment of the software module to the existing receiver unit (1) may be avoided. At the same time, new developments in the field of software modules may be incorporated into already existing data storage systems without difficulty.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2003
    Assignee: Siemens VDO Automotive AG
    Inventor: Lutz-Wolfgang Tiede
  • Patent number: 6611754
    Abstract: A route planning system is provided with various interlinked facilities, including a user I/O facility, a route planning facility, a position determination facility, and a destination table facility. Under control of a set of start and/or destination requests from a user person a route plan to be traveled is generated. In particular, the system further includes a driving habit assessment facility for assessing a particular user person's driving habits as additional input data for the route planning facility. On the basis of averaging the user person's driving habits the route generation is influenced in the time domain and/or in the spatial domain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2003
    Assignee: Siemens VDO Automotive AG
    Inventor: Bernhard Klein
  • Patent number: 6530289
    Abstract: In the case of a navigation computer of a motor vehicle, the housing of a gyroscope is arranged in the housing wall of the navigation computer such that the angle of the gyroscope can be adjusted. For this purpose, the invention provides that the housing of the gyroscope has two mutually opposite spring tongues (5, 6) which are directed upward and simultaneously radially outward from the top side of the gyroscope, and the housing wall has a holder (2) with two opposite passages (7, 8) for pushing through the spring tongues (5, 6) and, adjacent in each case to the passages (7, 8), a rotary member (9, 10) each in the shape of a circular arc as bearing surface for the spring tongues (5, 6).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2003
    Assignee: Siemens VDO Automotive AG
    Inventor: Dieter Nau
  • Patent number: 6529358
    Abstract: This circuit is inserted between a terminal (RGB) and a line (LI). The signal of the input terminal (RGB) is applied to the base of a bipolar amplifier transistor (T2) mounted with a top load (LR1) and a bottom load (LR2). A series transistor (T1) mounted in series in the main signal path has its collector wired up as an electrode for receiving the input signal, its emitter feeds a line (LI), and its base is linked by a resistor to the collector of the second transistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2003
    Assignee: Siemens VDO Automotive AG
    Inventor: Norbert Boigues