Patents by Inventor Achim Ratzel

Achim Ratzel 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: 9147937
    Abstract: An antenna system is disclosed herein which includes a frontend portion, a backend portion and a feed line which connects frontend portion and backend portion with each other. The frontend portion comprises at least two antennas, a combiner connected downstream of the antennas and upstream of the feed line and antenna connectors that electrically connect through antenna plugs, the antennas to the combiner. The backend portion includes an electrical power source connected to the feed line and a resistance evaluation circuit connected between the electrical power source and the feed line and that measures the resistance of the frontend portion through the feed line. At least one of the antenna connectors is in mechanical contact with a jumper having jumper plugs between which a high resistance connection and a low resistance connection is provided that depends on whether the corresponding antenna is connected to the combiner or not.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2015
    Assignee: Harman Becker Automotive Systems GmbH
    Inventors: Karl-Anton Becker, Achim Ratzel
  • Patent number: 8843096
    Abstract: An antenna system is disclosed which includes a frontend portion, a backend portion, a feed line for connecting the frontend portion and the backend portion with each other, and a control unit for controlling the frontend portion and/or backend portion. The frontend portion includes multiple antennas that supply antenna signals and at least one combiner network that connects the antennas to the feed line. The backend portion includes multiple receivers and at least one splitter network that connects the feed line to the receivers. The control unit is configured to evaluate the reception quality and adjust the at least one combiner network and/or splitter network dependent on the reception quality. The at least one combiner network combines the signals from at least two antennas in different, non-overlapping frequency ranges to form at least one combined signal thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2014
    Assignee: Harman Becker Automotive Systems GmbH
    Inventors: Karl-Anton Becker, Achim Ratzel
  • Patent number: 8831547
    Abstract: An antenna system is disclosed that includes a frontend portion and a backend portion. The frontend portion includes multiple antennas that supply antenna signals, a first control unit for controlling the frontend portion dependent on control signals received from the backend portion, and a first crossover network that connects a feed line to the first crossover network and the first control unit. The backend portion includes multiple receivers, a second control unit that provides the control signals for the first control unit, and a second crossover network that connects the feed line to the second crossover network and the receivers. The frontend portion is configured to transmit via the feed line antenna signals to the backend portion in a certain frequency range. The backend portion is configured to transmit the control signals to the frontend portion in a frequency range other than the certain frequency range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2014
    Assignee: Harman Becker Automotive Systems GmbH
    Inventors: Karl-Anton Becker, Achim Ratzel
  • Publication number: 20140028527
    Abstract: An antenna system is disclosed herein which includes a frontend portion, a backend portion and a feed line which connects frontend portion and backend portion with each other. The frontend portion comprises at least two antennas, a combiner connected downstream of the antennas and upstream of the feed line and antenna connectors that electrically connect through antenna plugs, the antennas to the combiner. The backend portion includes an electrical power source connected to the feed line and a resistance evaluation circuit connected between the electrical power source and the feed line and that measures the resistance of the frontend portion through the feed line. At least one of the antenna connectors is in mechanical contact with a jumper having jumper plugs between which a high resistance connection and a low resistance connection is provided that depends on whether the corresponding antenna is connected to the combiner or not.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2013
    Publication date: January 30, 2014
    Applicant: Harman Becker Automotive Systems GmbH
    Inventors: Karl-Anton Becker, Achim Ratzel
  • Publication number: 20130288632
    Abstract: An antenna system is disclosed which includes a frontend portion, a backend portion, a feed line for connecting the frontend portion and the backend portion with each other, and a control unit for controlling the frontend portion and/or backend portion. The frontend portion includes multiple antennas that supply antenna signals and at least one combiner network that connects the antennas to the feed line. The backend portion includes multiple receivers and at least one splitter network that connects the feed line to the receivers. The control unit is configured to evaluate the reception quality and adjust the at least one combiner network and/or splitter network dependent on the reception quality. The at least one combiner network combines the signals from at least two antennas in different, non-overlapping frequency ranges to form at least one combined signal thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 25, 2013
    Publication date: October 31, 2013
    Applicant: Harman Becker Automotive Systems GmbH
    Inventors: Karl-Anton Becker, Achim Ratzel
  • Publication number: 20130288618
    Abstract: An antenna system is disclosed that includes a frontend portion and a backend portion. The frontend portion includes multiple antennas that supply antenna signals, a first control unit for controlling the frontend portion dependent on control signals received from the backend portion, and a first crossover network that connects a feed line to the first crossover network and the first control unit. The backend portion includes multiple receivers, a second control unit that provides the control signals for the first control unit, and a second crossover network that connects the feed line to the second crossover network and the receivers. The frontend portion is configured to transmit via the feed line antenna signals to the backend portion in a certain frequency range. The backend portion is configured to transmit the control signals to the frontend portion in a frequency range other than the certain frequency range.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 25, 2013
    Publication date: October 31, 2013
    Applicant: Harman Becker Automotive Systems GmbH
    Inventors: Karl-Anton Becker, Achim Ratzel
  • Patent number: 7539469
    Abstract: A receiver may receive and process broadcasting signals in digital and analog forms. The receiver may include an amplifying input stage, a digital signal processing stage and an analog signal processing stage. The input stage may receive a broadcast signal. The digital signal processing stage may process a received broadcast signal and output a first quality information signal. The analog signal processing stage may process a received analog broadcast signal and outputs a second quality information signal. An evaluation unit may evaluate at least one of the first and second quality information signals and output a control signal to the amplifying input stage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2009
    Assignee: Harman Becker Automotive Systems GmbH
    Inventors: Michael Zahm, Achim Ratzel, Stefan Köhler
  • Patent number: 7084808
    Abstract: The invention relates to an antenna system (1) comprising several antennae (2), which can be connected to at least two receivers (4, 4?) via a combination unit. According to the invention, a signal processing unit (5) for evaluating the output signals of the receivers (4, 4?) and a control unit (10) are provided, by means of which at least one of the antennae can be switched to transmit mode in order to conduct a self-test. These antennae (2) transmit test signals with a test frequency that is pre-set by a first receiver (4). Said test signals are fed into at least one other antenna (2) that, via the combination device (3), is connected to the second receiver (4?) whose frequency is tuned to the test frequency. In order to conduct the self-test, the receiving levels of the second receiver (4?) are recorded as actual values and compared with predetermined set values. This results in the realization of an antenna system in which a function check is conducted with the least possible amount of complexity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2006
    Assignee: Hirschmann Electronics GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Achim Ratzel, Dirk Wendt, Peter Schaich
  • Publication number: 20060154629
    Abstract: A receiver may receive and process broadcasting signals in digital and analog forms. The receiver may include an amplifying input stage, a digital signal processing stage and an analog signal processing stage. The input stage may receive a broadcast signal. The digital signal processing stage may process a received broadcast signal and output a first quality information signal. The analog signal processing stage may process a received analog broadcast signal and outputs a second quality information signal. An evaluation unit may evaluate at least one of the first and second quality information signals and output a control signal to the amplifying input stage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 9, 2005
    Publication date: July 13, 2006
    Inventors: Michael Zahm, Achim Ratzel, Stefan Kohler
  • Patent number: 6992730
    Abstract: Process for mobile reception of television signals in which an output signal (SA) is derived from n different (S1 . . . S5) and is supplied to the reproduction part of the receiver, the n input signals (S1 . . . S5) being weighted, the output signal (SA) being formed by summing of the weighted input signals, and the quality of each of the n input signals (S1 . . . S5) being evaluated using at least one given criterion for determining the adaptively determined weighting factors, characterized in that the n input signals (S1 . . . S5) are time-synchronized before their evaluation, summing and weighting, and the horizontal and/or vertical video synchronization pulses contained in the input signals (S1 . . . S5) are used for control of time synchronization.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2006
    Assignee: Hirschmann Electronics GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Wolfgang Sautter, Achim Ratzel, Dieter Schenkyr
  • Publication number: 20040058690
    Abstract: The invention relates to an antenna system (1) comprising several antennae (2), which can be connected to at least two receivers (4, 4′) via a combination unit. According to the invention, a signal processing unit (5) for evaluating the output signals of the receivers (4, 4′) and a control unit (10) are provided, by means of which at least one of the antennae can be switched to transmit mode in order to conduct a self-test. These antennae (2) transmit test signals with a test frequency that is pre-set by a first receiver (4). Said test signals are fed into at least one other antenna (2) that, via the combination device (3), is connected to the second receiver (4′) whose frequency is tuned to the test frequency. In order to conduct the self-test, the receiving levels of the second receiver (4′) are recorded as actual values and compared with predetermined set values.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 11, 2003
    Publication date: March 25, 2004
    Inventors: Achim Ratzel, Dirk Wendt, Peter Schaich