Patents by Inventor Achim Enthaler

Achim Enthaler 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).

  • Patent number: 11535264
    Abstract: A method for operating a motor vehicle having a camera device that records the area ahead of the vehicle and an associated control device for evaluating images taken by the camera device, wherein the control device evaluates the images in order to detect at least one hand gesture performed by a person shown in the images, wherein, when a hand motion describing a calling gesture that indicates a stop request is detected, in the case of a self-driving motor vehicle, the motor vehicle is controlled to stop in the vicinity of the person, or in the case of a non-self-driving motor vehicle, the driver of the motor vehicle is given a signal indicating the stop request.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: AUDI AG
    Inventors: Achim Enthaler, Michael Mürken, Andreas Thanheiser, Johann Krammer
  • Patent number: 11299058
    Abstract: An arrangement consisting of a motor vehicle, including a battery, a charging connection and a charging device connected between the battery and the charging connection, and a connector. A first coupling which is or can be connected to the charging connection of the motor vehicle, and a second coupling which is connectable to an energy sink for power transport from the motor vehicle to the energy sink. The connector is designed for providing at least one item of power transport information to the motor vehicle. The charging device is designed for evaluating the item of power transport information or one of the items of power transport information and for specifying the direction of the power transport between the battery and the charging connection depending on the result of the evaluation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: AUDI AG
    Inventors: Achim Enthaler, Michael Muerken, Andreas Thanheiser
  • Patent number: 11091044
    Abstract: A method for preparing a vehicle for at least one future drive. The vehicle has at least one electric energy storage unit, with which at least one electric machine is supplied with electric energy. The vehicle is assigned to a system, which has at least one electric charging station and at least one station for provided services. The vehicle is further assigned to the at least one station for provided services, with which at least one provided service is made available. The at least one electric energy storage unit is connected to the at least one electric charging station when the at least one provided service is made available, and, through the at least one electric charging station, is supplied with electric energy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2021
    Assignee: AUDI AG
    Inventors: Achim Enthaler, Michael Mürken, Andreas Thanheiser
  • Patent number: 10518777
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for operating a motor vehicle that comprises a navigation device having stored route sections, and a control device for longitudinally and/or transversely guiding the motor vehicle when in an autonomous operating mode, at least one parameter being associated with at least one route section and determining whether said route section is approved for travelling when in the autonomous operating mode, the at least one parameter being retrieved from a server by the navigation device and/or by the control device, by means of a wireless communication connection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2019
    Assignee: AUDI AG
    Inventors: Achim Enthaler, Benjamin Hasmüller
  • Patent number: 10442299
    Abstract: A high-voltage battery for a motor vehicle, the operating voltage of which is greater than 12 V, in particular, greater than 50 V, having two power connections at a high-voltage network power system of the motor vehicle, which can be connected without voltage through first safety contactors provided inside a housing of the high-voltage battery, and storage cells for electrical energy that are connected to the power connections via the first safety contactors. The high-voltage battery additionally has two charging terminals, which are connected to the storage cells by circumventing the first safety contactors by way of charging lines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2019
    Assignee: AUDI AG
    Inventors: Achim Enthaler, Benjamin Hasmüller
  • Publication number: 20190308521
    Abstract: An arrangement consisting of a motor vehicle, including a battery, a charging connection and a charging device connected between the battery and the charging connection, and a connector. A first coupling which is or can be connected to the charging connection of the motor vehicle, and a second coupling which is connectable to an energy sink for power transport from the motor vehicle to the energy sink. The connector is designed for providing at least one item of power transport information to the motor vehicle. The charging device is designed for evaluating the item of power transport information or one of the items of power transport information and for specifying the direction of the power transport between the battery and the charging connection depending on the result of the evaluation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2017
    Publication date: October 10, 2019
    Applicant: AUDI AG
    Inventors: Achim ENTHALER, Michael MUERKEN, Andreas THANHEISER
  • Publication number: 20190263422
    Abstract: A method for operating a motor vehicle having a camera device that records the area ahead of the vehicle and an associated control device for evaluating images taken by the camera device, wherein the control device evaluates the images in order to detect at least one hand gesture performed by a person shown in the images, wherein, when a hand motion describing a calling gesture that indicates a stop request is detected, in the case of a self-driving motor vehicle, the motor vehicle is controlled to stop in the vicinity of the person, or in the case of a non-self-driving motor vehicle, the driver of the motor vehicle is given a signal indicating the stop request.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2017
    Publication date: August 29, 2019
    Applicant: AUDI AG
    Inventors: Achim ENTHALER, Michael MÜRKEN, Andreas THANHEISER, Johann KRAMMER
  • Patent number: 10333336
    Abstract: A method for operating a charging device for a battery of a motor vehicle. The charging device converts electric power obtained from a motor vehicle-external, three-phase energy system supplying other consumers in an infrastructure unit, in particular a house, by a converter device into an electric current that is suitable for charging the battery, and supplies electric energy of the battery by the converter device into the energy system. The charging device receives in an operating phase phase-resolved power data, which is fed to the energy system and measured by a measuring device, and determines phase-specified target power while using phase-related power data outputs for each phase. The target power that is determined for each phase is retrieved from each phase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2019
    Assignee: AUDI AG
    Inventors: Achim Enthaler, Michael Mürken, Andreas Thanheiser, Johann Krammer
  • Publication number: 20180354381
    Abstract: A method for preparing a vehicle for at least one future drive. The vehicle has at least one electric energy storage unit, with which at least one electric machine is supplied with electric energy. The vehicle is assigned to a system, which has at least one electric charging station and at least one station for provided services. The vehicle is further assigned to the at least one station for provided services, with which at least one provided service is made available. The at least one electric energy storage unit is connected to the at least one electric charging station when the at least one provided service is made available, and, through the at least one electric charging station, is supplied with electric energy.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 10, 2018
    Publication date: December 13, 2018
    Applicant: AUDI AG
    Inventors: Achim ENTHALER, Michael MÜRKEN, Andreas THANHEISER
  • Publication number: 20180159360
    Abstract: A method for operating a charging device for a battery of a motor vehicle. The charging device converts electric power obtained from a motor vehicle-external, three-phase energy system supplying other consumers in an infrastructure unit, in particular a house, by a converter device into an electric current that is suitable for charging the battery, and supplies electric energy of the battery by the converter device into the energy system. The charging device receives in an operating phase phase-resolved power data, which is fed to the energy system and measured by a measuring device, and determines phase-specified target power while using phase-related power data outputs for each phase. The target power that is determined for each phase is retrieved from each phase.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2017
    Publication date: June 7, 2018
    Applicant: AUDI AG
    Inventors: Achim ENTHALER, Michael MÜRKEN, Andreas THANHEISER, Johann KRAMMER
  • Publication number: 20180072315
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for operating a motor vehicle that comprises a navigation device having stored route sections, and a control device for longitudinally and/or transversely guiding the motor vehicle when in an autonomous operating mode, at least one parameter being associated with at least one route section and determining whether said route section is approved for travelling when in the autonomous operating mode, the at least one parameter being retrieved from a server by the navigation device and/or by the control device, by means of a wireless communication connection.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2016
    Publication date: March 15, 2018
    Applicant: AUDI AG
    Inventors: Achim ENTHALER, Benjamin HASMÜLLER
  • Publication number: 20180001775
    Abstract: A high-voltage battery for a motor vehicle, the operating voltage of which is greater than 12 V, in particular, greater than 50 V, having two power connections at a high-voltage network power system of the motor vehicle, which can be connected without voltage through first safety contactors provided inside a housing of the high-voltage battery, and storage cells for electrical energy that are connected to the power connections via the first safety contactors. The high-voltage battery additionally has two charging terminals, which are connected to the storage cells by circumventing the first safety contactors by way of charging lines.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 13, 2016
    Publication date: January 4, 2018
    Applicant: AUDI AG
    Inventors: Achim ENTHALER, Benjamin HASMÜLLER
  • Patent number: 9630519
    Abstract: The invention relates to a motor vehicle (1), comprising an electrical energy storage device (2) chargeable via an external charging device (3), and a charging cable (4) for connecting the motor vehicle (1) to the charging device (3), wherein the motor vehicle (1) further comprises a detection device for wireless detection of the presence of the charging cable (4) in at least one region of the motor vehicle (1) and a control unit (10, 11) communicating with the detection device. The control unit is designed, in particular upon start-up of the motor vehicle (1), to inform a driver and/or to block vehicle operation when the detection result indicates the absence of a charging cable (4).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Assignee: AUDI AG
    Inventors: Björn Elias, Reinhard Peer, Achim Enthaler
  • Patent number: 9248743
    Abstract: A motor vehicle has a control device that is designed to change over an operating state of an extravehicular computer system for office applications between an active state, in which the computer system executes at least one piece of office application software, and a passive state, in which the computer system is deactivated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignee: Audi AG
    Inventors: Achim Enthaler, Martin Roehder
  • Publication number: 20150352970
    Abstract: The invention relates to a motor vehicle (1), comprising an electrical energy storage device (2) chargeable via an external charging device (3), and a charging cable (4) for connecting the motor vehicle (1) to the charging device (3), wherein the motor vehicle (1) further comprises a detection device for wireless detection of the presence of the charging cable (4) in at least one region of the motor vehicle (1) and a control unit (10, 11) communicating with the detection device. The control unit is designed, in particular upon start-up of the motor vehicle (1), to inform a driver and/or to block vehicle operation when the detection result indicates the absence of a charging cable (4).
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2013
    Publication date: December 10, 2015
    Applicant: AUDI AG
    Inventors: Björn ELIAS, Reinhard PEER, Achim ENTHALER
  • Patent number: 9103655
    Abstract: A method for positioning a motor vehicle in relation to a primary element of a charging device disposed on a side of a roadway of the motor vehicle for contactless charging of an electric storage device of the motor vehicle, includes moving a secondary element of the charging device arranged on the motor vehicle and interacting with the primary element relative to the primary element by moving the motor vehicle on the roadway into a predetermined charging position, and determining with at least one sensor and at least one positioning element having at least two mutually different markers, when the secondary element has reached the predetermined charging position, by detecting the markers with the sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2015
    Assignee: AUDI AG
    Inventors: Achim Enthaler, Björn Elias
  • Publication number: 20150149035
    Abstract: A motor vehicle has a control device that is designed to change over an operating state of an extravehicular computer system for office applications between an active state, in which the computer system executes at least one piece of office application software, and a passive state, in which the computer system is deactivated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 25, 2013
    Publication date: May 28, 2015
    Applicant: AUDI AG
    Inventors: Achim Enthaler, Martin Roehder
  • Publication number: 20140035565
    Abstract: A method for positioning a motor vehicle in relation to a primary element of a charging device disposed on a side of a roadway of the motor vehicle for contactless charging of an electric storage device of the motor vehicle, includes moving a secondary element of the charging device arranged on the motor vehicle and interacting with the primary element relative to the primary element by moving the motor vehicle on the roadway into a predetermined charging position, and determining with at least one sensor and at least one positioning element having at least two mutually different markers, when the secondary element has reached the predetermined charging position, by detecting the markers with the sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2013
    Publication date: February 6, 2014
    Applicant: Audi AG
    Inventors: Achim Enthaler, Björn Elias