Patents by Inventor Andreas Kail

Andreas Kail 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: 10572034
    Abstract: An input device includes a fingerprint sensor, an operating layer having a first operating surface, at least one force sensor, and an evaluation unit. The first operating surface has an acquisition surface which acquires a fingerprint of a finger of an operator via the fingerprint sensor. The at least one force sensor measures an operating force of the finger of the operator acting on the first operating surface. The evaluation unit is electrically conductively connected with the fingerprint sensor and with the at least one force sensor. The evaluation unit assigns at least one first switching function to the operating force applied on first operating surface of the operating layer if the operating force measured on the first operating surface exceeds a first threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2020
    Assignee: PREH GMBH
    Inventors: Manuel Stotzem, Andreas Kail, Markus Klein
  • Publication number: 20180143709
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a sensor device for arrangement in a motor vehicle, including: a transmitting unit for emitting an optical signal into a space region of a passenger compartment of the motor vehicle; a receiving unit for sensing the optical signal; an evaluation unit for assigning a switching function and/or controlling function to the reflected optical signal; a cover which is transmissive with respect to the optical signal and disposed between the passenger compartment and the transmitting unit; and further, a capacitive sensor with at least one electrode for generating a measuring capacitance sensing the passenger compartment at least in some portions, and means for detecting a capacitance change of the measuring capacitance; and wherein the evaluation unit is further designed to vary the switching function and/or controlling function and/or to vary the transmitting power of the transmitting unit in accordance with the capacitance change.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 19, 2016
    Publication date: May 24, 2018
    Applicant: PREH GMBH
    Inventors: Manuel STOTZEM, Andreas KAIL
  • Publication number: 20180143521
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a rotary adjuster, including: a housing, a rotary knob mounted in a rotatable manner about a rotation axis (A) on the housing; an optical detection device for detecting a rotary position of the rotary knob and a coding shutter moving synchronously with the rotary knob, wherein the detection device has an optical transmitter and an array of optical receivers, and wherein the coding shutter and the detection device are designed to detect the rotary position of the rotary knob by means of the number of the receivers of the array illuminated by the transmitter and/or by means of an illumination intensity of one or more receivers of the array.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 2, 2017
    Publication date: May 24, 2018
    Applicant: PREH GMBH
    Inventors: Matthias BLUM, Andreas KAIL
  • Publication number: 20180142779
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an actuating device for an electro-mechanical motor vehicle transmission system, comprising a housing, a shift lever, a flat mechanical linkage, wherein the shift lever is movably supported at housing for shifting between gear ratios, wherein the shift lever is movably supported in each one of the shift gate in a shifting direction by means of the flat mechanical linkage and is pivotably supported in at least one selection gate about a selection axis for selecting among different shift gates, as well as a detection device, which is designed to detect a displacement of the shift lever in the shifting direction and pivoting of the shift lever about the selection axis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2017
    Publication date: May 24, 2018
    Applicant: PREH GMBH
    Inventors: Maximilian TÜRPITZ, Andreas KAIL
  • Publication number: 20180107295
    Abstract: An input device includes a fingerprint sensor, an operating layer having a first operating surface, at least one force sensor, and an evaluation unit. The first operating surface has an acquisition surface which acquires a fingerprint of a finger of an operator via the fingerprint sensor. The at least one force sensor measures an operating force of the finger of the operator acting on the first operating surface. The evaluation unit is electrically conductively connected with the fingerprint sensor and with the at least one force sensor. The evaluation unit assigns at least one first switching function to the operating force applied on first operating surface of the operating layer if the operating force measured on the first operating surface exceeds a first threshold value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2017
    Publication date: April 19, 2018
    Applicant: PREH GMBH
    Inventors: Manuel Stotzem, Andreas Kail, Markus Klein
  • Publication number: 20180107294
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a man-machine interface, including a steering wheel rotatably supported about a steering wheel axis and an input device attached to the steering wheel, wherein the input device includes a fingerprint sensor with an acquisition surface for acquiring a fingerprint of a finger of an operator and additionally at least one touch-sensitive and/or operation-sensitive input surface, which is disposed outside the acquisition surface and preferably spaced from the acquisition surface, with an associated detection device, and an evaluation unit connected in an electrically conductive manner with the detection device and the fingerprint sensor, wherein the evaluation unit is configured to verify the data acquired by the fingerprint sensor with a signal of the detection device and, if necessary, to discard them.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 11, 2017
    Publication date: April 19, 2018
    Applicant: PREH GMBH
    Inventors: Manuel STOTZEM, Andreas KAIL, Markus KLEIN
  • Publication number: 20150355737
    Abstract: A steering wheel for a motor vehicle is disclosed. The steering wheel includes an optical finger navigation module, a steering wheel electronics unit, and a communication device for data transmission between the optical finger navigation module and the steering wheel electronics unit. The communication device is a data bus with two lines for data transmission and one line for clock pulse transmission.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 14, 2013
    Publication date: December 10, 2015
    Inventors: Kwok Chiu CHEUNG, Volker ENTENMANN, Andreas KAIL, Jing MU, Joerg REISINGER, Manuel STOTZEM
  • Publication number: 20070235638
    Abstract: An optical sensor device (10, 10?) is able to be coupled to a pane (14), particularly to a windscreen of a motor vehicle. A sensor unit (12) of the device (10, 10?) has a transmitter (26), a receiver (28) and a photoconductor structure with a first fresnel lens (42) associated with the transmitter (26) and a second fresnel lens (44) associated with the receiver (28). The fresnel lenses (42, 44) are arranged such that a diverging light beam (34) emitted from the transmitter (26) is oriented in parallel through the first fresnel lens (42) and is coupled into the pane (14) as a parallel light beam (34a) without further substantial deflection. The parallel light beam (34a) is coupled out from the pane (14) as a parallel light beam (34b) after at least one reflection inside the pane (14). The light beam (34b) impinges onto the receiver (28) as a converging light beam through the second fresnel lens (44).
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2007
    Publication date: October 11, 2007
    Inventors: Ulrich Backes, Andreas Kail
  • Patent number: 6962127
    Abstract: A tachometer pointer instrument for motorcycles comprises a housing which includes a housing base and a housing cover which is transparent at least in part. The tachometer pointer instrument also comprises a pointer drive module accommodated in the housing base and a number dial visible through the housing cover. The pointer drive module has a stepping motor, control electronics and a display unit which are built on a common printed circuit board and the pointer drive module is fastened on support structures formed in the housing base.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2005
    Assignee: TRW Automotive Electronics & Components GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Lars Birke, Andreas Kail
  • Publication number: 20040182305
    Abstract: A tachometer pointer instrument for motorcycles comprises a housing which includes a housing base and a housing cover which is transparent at least in part. The tachometer pointer instrument also comprises a pointer drive module accommodated in the housing base and a number dial visible through the housing cover. The pointer drive module has a stepping motor, control electronics and a display unit which are built on a common printed circuit board and the pointer drive module is fastened on support structures formed in the housing base.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 23, 2003
    Publication date: September 23, 2004
    Applicant: TRW Automotive Electronics & Components GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Lars Birke, Andreas Kail