Patents by Inventor Andreas Frank

Andreas Frank 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).

  • Publication number: 20040189278
    Abstract: The voltage sensor for measurement of a voltage V, which is present between two electrodes (3, 4) and generates an electric field E, comprises at least two layers (1a, 2a) made of electro-optically active material and being arranged along a light path (5). Through the layers there passes a light beam, the phase and/or state of polarization of which is influenced on account of the electro-optical effect. The orientation of the electro-optically active layers (1a, 2a) relative to the light path and the electric field E is chosen in such a way, that the influencing of the light (5) in the second layer (2a) counteracts the influencing of the light (5) in the first layer (1a). In this way, it is possible to realize a sensor with a high half wave voltage, so that high voltages V can be measured unambiguously. A plurality of first and second electro-optically active layers are advantageously arranged between the electrodes (3, 4).
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2004
    Publication date: September 30, 2004
    Applicant: ABB Research Ltd
    Inventors: Klaus Bohnert, Andreas Frank, Hubert Brandle
  • Publication number: 20030192411
    Abstract: A device for machining the ends of pipes, having a clamping device (6) for clamping the pipe in place, having an outer ring (9) and a shaping insert (11), in which the shaping insert has two half-rings (12, 13), which are releasably and resiliently connected to one another by means of at least one screw (34) and at least one spring (35). The tool is particularly compact, clean, safe and easy to handle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 14, 2003
    Publication date: October 16, 2003
    Inventor: Andreas Frank
  • Publication number: 20030176259
    Abstract: The system of the invention for adjusting a transmission ratio in a transmission, which is built into a motor vehicle, includes at least two determining elements with the aid of which values are determined based on different determining modes. These values represent the driving behavior of the driver of the motor vehicle. According to the invention, administrator means are provided with the aid of which the determined values are called up by the determining elements. Then, at least one counter value is changed in counter means in dependence upon the called up values. Finally, the transmission ratio is set at least in dependence upon the outputted values.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 11, 2002
    Publication date: September 18, 2003
    Inventors: Rasmus Frei, Andreas Frank, Markus Paeulgen, Marko Poljansek
  • Publication number: 20030163804
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for assuring compatibility between the software units activated in partial computer systems (system A, system B) belonging to a distributed computer system, said software units each comprising their respective version of software codes and/or data. Once a compatibility test has established compatibility, a compatible non-activated software unit is activated on its partial computer system and the corresponding previously activated software unit is deactivated. The invention also relates to a method for securing data within a distributed computer system with several partial computer systems, for blocking access to the data, for securing common data and for deactivating the data access block are carried out according to the current status of the data securing option.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 30, 2002
    Publication date: August 28, 2003
    Inventors: Wolfgang Burke, Claus-Andreas Frank, Dirk Hahnefeld, Giovanni Laghi, Johannes Schoepf, Bernhard Stryczek, Georg Zoeller
  • Publication number: 20030154762
    Abstract: Described is a system and a method to monitor measuring and control equipment. The occurrence of a malfunction does not immediately lead to the monitoring system entering a secure state, but rather increases the count of a counter. If the count exceeds a certain value, then the monitoring system enters a secure state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2003
    Publication date: August 21, 2003
    Inventors: Wolfgang Haas, Andreas Frank, Thomas Meier
  • Publication number: 20030105537
    Abstract: A system for controlling and/or monitoring a control-unit group having at least two control units, a first control unit and at least one second control unit, the first control unit being designed for performing its control function and for monitoring this control function, as well as for monitoring the control function of the at least one second control unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 26, 2002
    Publication date: June 5, 2003
    Inventors: Norbert Crispin, Wolfgang Haas, Andreas Frank, Thomas Meier
  • Patent number: 6557157
    Abstract: The data flows of a system are allocated an arithmetic or logical function per function block (ALU-block), forming a RAM control. The ALU-blocks are specialized according to individual processing tasks of the data flows. The current status of the Ram address and RAM output data are recoupled with the ALU-blocks. During operation, the ALU-blocks alternately produce write accesses to the RAM and read accesses of all the ALU blocks can occur with every cycle, thereby controlling the outgoing signal lines of the data flows. Registers are inserted in such a way that the ALU-blocks are placed between register levels to ensure that test patterns are generated automatically with existing CAE programs. The low use of test structures guarantees that the base circuit has good testability with a minimal test pattern rate at an early stage of the circuit design. The inventive circuit structure can also be configured as a digital signal processor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2003
    Inventor: Andreas Frank Böthel
  • Publication number: 20030041075
    Abstract: During backup of a database's data stored in individual files, it is not permissible for the data in the individual files to be altered, for reasons of consistency. For this reason, the files are blocked to altering access operations after a particular time during a backup operation. According to the invention, the backup operation is carried out in two parts. First, the files are transferred without there being any alteration block. A recording file is used to note files which are altered during transferring. These files are transferred again in a second part. During the second part an alteration block is required. It can be assumed that the number of files needing to be transferred in the second part is much smaller than the number of files needing to be transferred in the first part. For this reason, a significantly shortened alteration block is achieved.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 27, 2002
    Publication date: February 27, 2003
    Inventors: Claus-Andreas Frank, Guenther Mohr, Gerhard Sommer, Hok-Tjhoen Tan
  • Patent number: 6448622
    Abstract: This invention relates to micro-electromechanical systems using silicon-germanium films. Such a system includes one or more layers of Si1−xGex, deposited on a substrate, where 0<x≦1. One or more transistors can be formed on the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2002
    Assignee: The Regents of the University of California
    Inventors: Andrea Franke, Roger T. Howe, Tsu-Jae King
  • Patent number: 6445765
    Abstract: The detector materials (8, 9) of a low energy detector (5) and a high energy detector (6) are coordinated with one another to permit better separation of lower and higher energy fractions of polychromatic X-ray (X′) radiation, and consequently, create a better determination of a material of an object through which the X-rays are passed. Thus, a negligible persistence in comparison with the integration time between two detector readings is achieved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2002
    Assignee: Heimann Systems GmbH
    Inventors: Andreas Frank, Patricia Schall, Georg Geus
  • Patent number: 6432023
    Abstract: In a drive train assembly for a motor vehicle, which includes successively arranged an internal combustion engine, a starter clutch, an electrical machine a drive clutch, and an automatic transmission, preferably an automated manual transmission, a common double clutch positioner is assigned to the two clutches, which enables a selective setting of the applicable status (open or closed) of the clutches by assumption of a corresponding switching position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2002
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Peter Ahner, Wolfgang Haas, Torsten Mangold, Manfred Ackermann, Andreas Frank, Juergen Glauning
  • Patent number: 6363302
    Abstract: A method and an apparatus for operating a control unit for controlling operational sequences in a vehicle. When operational sequences are error-free, the control functions of the built-in control unit are partially or completely suppressed. This allows additional functions to be switched in and out, and also allows modification and/or adaptation of data and/or programs that are accessed by the control functions. In the specific operating instance of the application, a further control unit is insertable into the vehicle wiring harness between the first control unit and a sensor arrangement, collection, group or system and an actuator arrangement, collection, group or system. The control functions suppressed in the control unit are then performable by the second control unit. The control unit then performs only the measurement functions and actuation functions The sequence is initiated and controlled by integrated remote-control functions, which are in addition to the normal or other functions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2002
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Wolfgang Haas, Michael Bleile, Andreas Frank, Thomas Meier
  • Patent number: 6210988
    Abstract: This invention relates to micro-electromechanical systems using silicon-germanium films.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2001
    Assignee: The Regents of the University of California
    Inventors: Roger T. Howe, Andrea Franke, Tsu-Jae King
  • Patent number: 5358410
    Abstract: According, two casing parts is disclosed for a spiral cable for connecting electrical line terminals between a stationary vehicle steering column and a rotatable steering wheel. One of the two casing parts has an annular space for the spiral cable which is open towards an axial face and the other casing part is in the form of a plate for covering the annular space. It is thus possible to arrange the two casing parts at an axial distance from one another and thus to prevent the two parts from rubbing against one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 1993
    Date of Patent: October 25, 1994
    Assignee: Mercedes-Benz AG
    Inventors: Joachim Kieserling, Manfred Link, Andreas Franke
  • Patent number: 5014831
    Abstract: A device for locking an actuating lever of a shifting device of a gear-change mechanism of a motor vehicle, in a lever position associated with a particular shift state utilizes a swivellable locking element connected to a brake pedal via an adjusting linkage to be moved into a locking position by a restoring spring holding the brake pedal in the unactuated rest position. Depression of the brake pedal releases the actuating lever. The adjusting linkage contains a resiliently-acting intermediate member acting on the locking element control to position a counter-control cam into engagement with an actuator control cam to lock the actuator. When the actuating lever is actuated into a nonlockable lever position, the locking element is moved into a floating position against the spring force of the intermediate member, while the brake pedal remains essentially in a rest position by virtue of an enlargement of the effective length of the adjusting linkage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 1989
    Date of Patent: May 14, 1991
    Assignee: Daimler-Benz AG
    Inventors: Helmut Wawra, Wilhelm Albrecht, Bernd Wagner, Andreas Franke, Harald Gellner