Patents Assigned to ZF Friedrichshafen
  • Patent number: 11912306
    Abstract: A method helps to protect an occupant of a vehicle (10) equipped with an automated driving system (200) and a vehicle safety system (100) by detecting low impact crash events (99) with the vehicle (10). The method includes utilizing automated driving sensors (220, 230, 240, 250, 260) of the automated driving system (200) to identify possible low impact collision risks. The method also includes utilizing vehicle safety system sensors (110, 115, 120, 125, 130) of the vehicle safety system to determine a low impact collision resulting from the identified possible low impact collision. A vehicle safety system (100) includes an airbag controller unit (150) configured to implement the method to determine low impact crash events with the vehicle (10).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: ZF FRIEDRICHSHAFEN AG
    Inventors: Steven Kanzler, Kiran Balasubramanian, Carl Munch, Andreas Fleckner, Harald Pfriender, Michal Duchowski, Charles Bartlett, Huahn-Fern Yeh
  • Publication number: 20240060859
    Abstract: Disclosed is a test rig (1) for testing vehicle tires. In one embodiment, the test rig includes a rotating drum (2) on a drum axle (3) and force pick-ups (4, 5, 6) for the determination of a radial force acting on the drum axle (3) and a lateral force acting on the drum axle (3). In one embodiment, the test rig (1) has three uniaxial force pick-ups (4, 5, 6), such that a first and a second force pick-up (4, 5) are arranged so as to determine a radial force, where a third force pick-up (6) is arranged so as to determine a lateral force, and where the first force pick-up (4) and the third force pick-up (6) are coupled. Also disclosed is a method for testing vehicle tires.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 20, 2020
    Publication date: February 22, 2024
    Applicant: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventor: Roland Bösl
  • Patent number: 11905680
    Abstract: A drive for a work machine includes a computer configured to control a first electric motor for driving vehicle wheels and a second electric motor for driving a work attachment. The computer is configured to process signals which correspond to control of a movement of a lifting mechanism of the work attachment or a bucket of the work attachment. The computer is further configured to process a signal which corresponds to a position of an accelerator pedal. The first electric motor and the second electric motor are configured to be controlled separately from each another, and control of the second electric motor takes place according to the control of the movement of the work attachment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: ZF FRIEDRICHSHAFEN AG
    Inventor: Juergen Legner
  • Patent number: 11910121
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for generating color video from a dual-context camera. A dual-context camera provides a first series of video frames encoded in accordance with a full color model and a second series of video frames encoded in accordance with an underdetermined color model. The two series of video frames are interleaved as to form a series of pairs of frames, each comprising a color video frame and an underdetermined video frame. An image merger generates a composite image for each pair of frames in the series of frames. The composite image includes a set of brightness values from the underdetermined video frame and a set of chrominance values from the color video frame. A color video source replaces the underdetermined image in each of the series of pairs of frames with the composite image generated for the pair of frames to provide a color video stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: ZF FRIEDRICHSHAFEN AG
    Inventors: Anthony Louis Rivas, Matthew W. Warmuth, Christopher Guirlanda
  • Patent number: 11909327
    Abstract: In a half-bridge module for an inverter, semiconductor switches and signal and power connections are arranged on a first surface of a substrate and coated with a casting compound, and external connection contacts for the signal and power connections extend through the casting compound to the exterior. In various embodiments, the external connection contacts extend from the casting compound from four second surfaces that are orthogonal to the first surface, and have a first right angle bend outside the casting compound, such that the ends of the external connection contacts are perpendicular to the first surface. The invention also relates to a corresponding inverter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Manuel Raimann, Ivonne Trenz
  • Patent number: 11906107
    Abstract: An arrangement forming a lubricant circuit includes at least one lubricant line, at least one line branching that branches the lubricant line into a first branch and a second branch. The arrangement further includes at least one lubricant reservoir integrated into the first branch, and at least one line junction where the first branch and the second branch merge. The first branch is lockable and releasable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: ZF FRIEDRICHSHAFEN AG
    Inventors: Andreas Vath, Guenter Berger, Georg Tenckhoff
  • Publication number: 20240051602
    Abstract: A trajectory planning system for a vehicle includes a sensor system for measuring an actual curvature on the basis of a respective current yaw rate, a memory containing a target trajectory with target curvatures, wherein the trajectory planning system determines target yaw rates from the target curvature, and a steering system that uses steering variables to obtain target curvatures in actual curvatures. The system determines a respective first actual derivative of the measured respective current actual yaw rate over time and a respective first target derivative of the respective current target yaw rate over time. A correlator determines a respective current delay on the basis of the respective first actual derivatives and the respective first target derivatives in a current yaw rate segment, and a parameter estimator recursively estimates the delay between the target yaw rate and the actual yaw rate on the basis of respective current delay inputs.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 10, 2023
    Publication date: February 15, 2024
    Applicant: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Michael Fleps-Dezasse, Julian King, Stephan Pollmeyer, Lothar Kiltz, Felix Mesmer
  • Publication number: 20240051844
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a system and method for treating fluids from wash and rinse tanks that are used to remove metalworking fluids and particles from industrial parts. The process allows for the reuse of substantially all of the fluids, can be automated, reduces microbial growth and provides for cleaner industrial parts with reduced use of cleaner. Specific applications include automotive parts.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 3, 2023
    Publication date: February 15, 2024
    Applicant: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Fernando BERA, Prithviraj RAO, Anderson Gomes da SILVA, Sameer SANGVIKAR
  • Patent number: 11897520
    Abstract: A method for transferring control of a vehicle from automated vehicle control by a control unit to manual vehicle control by a driver by a control lever, wherein the control lever is used at least to accelerate, brake, and steer the vehicle, wherein there is also at least one first display screen for displaying driving information, including at least an actual speed and an actual trajectory of the vehicle and a speed and a trajectory based on the actual position of the control lever, and wherein automated vehicle control is transferred to manual vehicle control when the actual speed of the vehicle corresponds graphically to the speed based on the actual position of the control lever and the actual trajectory of the vehicle corresponds graphically to the trajectory based on the actual position of the control lever on the first display screen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignees: ZF Friedrichshafen AG, Faurecia Innenraum Systeme GmbH
    Inventors: Steffen Jung, Andreas Kramme, Maximilian Haverkamp, Jan Bavendiek, Lutz Eckstein, Alexander Tenbrock, Gert-Dieter Tuzar, Markus Uhlig, Thomas Sulzbach
  • Patent number: 11899119
    Abstract: A method for processing GPS route data of a vehicle is proposed, in which the GPS route data are used for the route guidance of the vehicle along a route (1), wherein vehicle positions and an offroad position information or an onroad position information are generated as route data, wherein a vehicle position calculation function for route guidance of the vehicle is used, if erroneous vehicle positions are generated from the GPS route data. Furthermore, a control device for carrying out a method is proposed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Rachid Mansour, Robert Gronner, Thomas Ascher, Freddy Josef Frombach, Maik Würthner
  • Patent number: 11898598
    Abstract: A joint has a housing with journal openings, an inner joint portion with a bearing area, which is fitted into the housing and extends axially out of the housing through the openings. A bearing body is arranged in and firmly connected to the housing which encloses the bearing body and comprises plastic. The inner joint portion is fitted and able to move within the body. Sealing bellows surround the inner joint portion and extend from a bearing-body-side bellows contact area, provided on the body or the housing, to an inner-joint-portion-side bellows contact area, provided on the inner joint portion. A sleeve is provided, on at least one of the bellows contact areas, that surrounds the inner joint portion and extends axially. The sleeve surrounds the bellows or is surrounded by the bellows, and has, at an axial end, a radial limb against which the bellows is axially supported.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Friederike Person, Michael Hahn, Linda Tönsing
  • Patent number: 11897562
    Abstract: A method for controlling a steering system of a vehicle during an autonomous steering development mode may include performing, by one or more computing devices, high-authority autonomous steering control of a steering system of the vehicle. The method may further include receiving, by the one or more computing devices, an input from at least one sensor of the steering system indicative of manual operation of the steering system by an operator of the vehicle. Additionally, the method may include transitioning, by the one or more computing devices, from the high-authority autonomous steering control to a low-authority autonomous steering control of the steering system for a predetermined time period in response to receiving the input from the at least one sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: ZF FRIEDRICHSHAFEN AG
    Inventors: Ananda Pandy, Pranav Salunke, Daniel Williams
  • Publication number: 20240048071
    Abstract: A method for operating at least one switching device of a power converter includes actuating a first switching element of the switching device by a first pulse-width modulation signal when the current flux in the switching device lies below a predefined threshold value, or actuating a second switching element of the switching device by a second pulse-width modulation signal when a current flux in the switching device exceeds the predefined threshold value. At least one parameter of the first pulse-width modulation signal and/or of the second pulse-width modulation signal is adjusted according to the time point of achievement of the predefined threshold value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 4, 2023
    Publication date: February 8, 2024
    Applicant: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventor: Fabian Hohmann
  • Publication number: 20240047120
    Abstract: A symmetrical DC-to-DC boost converter includes two magnetically coupled chokes, of which one choke is connected to a negative DC voltage input in the DC-to-DC boost converter, while the other choke is connected to a positive DC voltage input in the DC-to-DC boost converter, such that a symmetrical topology is obtained with separate DC voltage inputs, wherein the coupled chokes have three cores in a series, each of which is connected at the top and bottom to a connecting core, and there is at least one winding on each of the two outer cores that is dedicated to one of the chokes, while the middle core does not have a winding, and has at least one air gap and/or is at least partially made of a low permeability powdered material, and therefore forms a magnetic energy storage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 3, 2023
    Publication date: February 8, 2024
    Applicant: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Manuel Raimann, Pengshuai Wang
  • Publication number: 20240042910
    Abstract: A motor vehicle comprising at least one seating device, in particular a driver's seat, a control device for controlling at least one function of the motor vehicle and an operating device having at least one operator control device for operating the control device on the part of the user, wherein the at least one operator control device is supported on a bearing or mounting device which is designed to change the position of the operator control device as a function of a seat position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 9, 2020
    Publication date: February 8, 2024
    Applicant: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Lenard PETRZIK, Ludger RAKE
  • Publication number: 20240047320
    Abstract: A power electronics module, having a DBC PCB having power semiconductors arranged thereon, and a multilayered leadframe including at least two separate subframes. No power or control routing takes place on the PCB. A region of the load source subregion is arranged between the PCB and the gate source and kelvin source subregion and is in electrical contact with the power semiconductors, and an adjoining region is located outside the PCB. A region of the drain source subregion is in electrical contact with a drain terminal on the PCB, and an adjoining region is located outside the PCB. The gate source subregion and the kelvin source subregion have a region above the load source subregion at which said subregions are in electrical contact with the power semiconductors and have an adjoining region outside the PCB which is opposite the drain source subregion and has pins bent above the PCB.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 1, 2023
    Publication date: February 8, 2024
    Applicant: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Ake Ewald, Stefan Hain, Fabian Hohmann
  • Publication number: 20240048140
    Abstract: A method for driving a topological semiconductor switch for a power electronics system, wherein the topological semiconductor switch is split into at least two groups of power semiconductors that are driven temporally separately from one another at a preset switching frequency in such a way that in each case only one of the power semiconductors takes on the total current, wherein the method includes determining of a next switching point, including conducting a pointwise interpolation of the discretized phase current in such a way that the change in the current between two conducting phases is measured and extrapolated, and then, together with the switching frequency, the current rise and the current error are predicted for the next two switching operations, and from this the next switching point with the smallest absolute current deviation is determined.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 4, 2023
    Publication date: February 8, 2024
    Applicant: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventor: Fabian Hohmann
  • Publication number: 20240048141
    Abstract: A method for activating a circuit arrangement for power semiconductors of an inverter with at least one phase, having at least two power semiconductors, which are connected in parallel with one another, wherein the power semiconductors are divided into two groups, of which at least one first group has a separate driver, and wherein the activation of the power semiconductors takes place in such a manner that during the switch-on operation, initially the first group and subsequently the second group is switched on.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 4, 2023
    Publication date: February 8, 2024
    Applicant: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventor: Fabian Hohmann
  • Publication number: 20240049417
    Abstract: An inverter includes a heat sink having a cooling plate, and at least one phase, wherein each phase includes a half-bridge arranged on an upper side of the cooling plate and DC and AC busbars stacked on the half-bridge and electrically insulated from one another, wherein taps of the DC and AC busbars are provided on mutually opposite sides of the power electronics module. A first conduction element including a thermally conductive material is arranged on the side of the DC busbars and between the DC busbars and the cooling plate and is conductively connected to the DC busbar closer to the cooling plate, and/or a second conduction element comprising a thermally conductive material arranged on the side of the AC busbar and between the AC busbar and the cooling plate and is conductively connected to the AC busbar and the cooling plate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 4, 2023
    Publication date: February 8, 2024
    Applicant: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventor: Ake Ewald
  • Patent number: 11892075
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method for determining a position of a motor vehicle by means of a location device of the motor vehicle. First, a first position (x1) related to an installation point of the location device in the motor vehicle is determined. In order to determine a position suitable for controlling the motor vehicle, with reference to the said first position (x1) a second position (x2) related to a center of gravity of the vehicle is determined, in that the first position (x1) is offset by a distance (a) between the said installation point of the location device and the center of gravity of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Rachid Mansour, Thomas Ascher, Freddy Josef Frombach, Maik Würthner, Robert Gronner