Patents by Inventor Andreas Marx

Andreas Marx 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: 12122233
    Abstract: A device for detecting a driver demand, the device outputting a purely electronic actuating signal, includes an actuating surface, for a foot of a user, the actuating surface being displaceable in an actuation direction in order to generate the actuating signal. At least two compression bodies arranged one behind the other in the actuation direction are provided, each of which has one elastic element and one rigid element, which are arranged one behind the other in the actuation direction in such a way that one rigid element acts on one elastic element when the actuating surface is acted upon by an actuation force. In addition, a sensor system is provided, the signal of which permits an inference to be made regarding the displacement of the actuating surface and is usable for generating the actuating signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2023
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2024
    Assignee: ZF Active Safety GmbH
    Inventor: Andreas Marx
  • Publication number: 20240278760
    Abstract: A braking system for a vehicle with at least two brakable wheels is provided, comprising at least two brake actuator units which can be assigned in each case to one of the wheels of the vehicle, at least a first energy supply unit and a second energy supply unit for supplying the brake actuator units with electrical energy, a control unit which is configured to activate the brake actuator units in order to exert a braking force on an assigned wheel, and a switching unit. The switching unit is configured to connect the brake actuator units in terms of energy either to the first energy supply unit or the second energy supply unit in order to enable the supply of energy to the corresponding brake actuator unit from the energy supply unit which is connected in each case. A method for braking a vehicle is furthermore provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 19, 2024
    Publication date: August 22, 2024
    Inventor: Andreas Marx
  • Publication number: 20240227930
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a yaw compensation system for restoring a safe driving state in particular of a wheeled vehicle, such as a wheeled motor vehicle, for example a car. The disclosure furthermore relates to a method for restoring a safe driving state of the abovementioned vehicle, and to a motor vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 23, 2023
    Publication date: July 11, 2024
    Inventor: Andreas Marx
  • Publication number: 20240198995
    Abstract: A method for operating a hydraulic brake system for a motor vehicle that includes a hydraulic brake system with a hydraulic unit, a brake fluid reservoir and hydraulically actuatable wheel brakes, wherein the hydraulic unit has a main pressure source which can be actuated via a brake pedal, an additional pressure source fluidically separate from the main pressure source, and control valves by which the main pressure source and the additional pressure source on one side and the wheel brakes on the other side are connected together, wherein in the brake fluid reservoir, multiple at least partially mutually separate reservoir chambers are provided for supplying the main pressure source and the additional pressure source with a brake fluid, wherein the method comprises detection of a fill level of the brake fluid in the brake fluid reservoir by a measurement assembly, wherein the detection of the fill level takes place in analog fashion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 6, 2023
    Publication date: June 20, 2024
    Inventor: Andreas Marx
  • Publication number: 20240157921
    Abstract: A method for operating a braking system for a motor vehicle is proposed. The method includes the step of operating at least one rear wheel brake and at least one front wheel brake to perform a parking braking function when there is a requirement for parking braking. Furthermore, a braking system, a method for controlling it, a computer program, a control unit and a motor vehicle are proposed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 15, 2023
    Publication date: May 16, 2024
    Inventors: Andreas Marx, Nicholas Alford, Roman Bechmann
  • Publication number: 20240132150
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a yaw compensation system for restoring a safe driving state in particular of a wheeled vehicle, such as a wheeled motor vehicle, for example a car. The disclosure furthermore relates to a method for restoring a safe driving state of the abovementioned vehicle, and to a motor vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 22, 2023
    Publication date: April 25, 2024
    Inventor: Andreas Marx
  • Patent number: 11951961
    Abstract: A testing method includes the steps of: (1) providing a negative pressure generator; (2) generating a negative pressure in a fluid passageway and a chamber which are in fluid communication with a guiding section of a fluid reservoir wherein a second sensing element is affixed to a guiding section of the fluid reservoir; (3) transferring a fluid flow stream from the guiding section to the chamber via the fluid passageway and drawing a float having a first sensing element from an upper position to a lower position within the guiding section; (4) generating a signal via the first and second sensing elements as the float moves relative to the second sensing element within the guiding section; and (5) transmitting a signal to at least one of a control unit or a graphical user display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignees: ZF Active Safety US Inc., ZF Active Safety GmbH
    Inventors: Blaise Ganzel, Andreas Marx, Daniel Noll
  • Publication number: 20240084866
    Abstract: A brake actuator assembly for a vehicle brake, in particular an electromechanical vehicle brake, is provided, having a brake piston for a brake pad, which brake piston is movable between a retracted position and an extended position, a brake calliper, in which a space for a brake rotor is formed and in which the brake piston is movable, and a spindle drive coupled with the brake piston for moving the brake piston. A rotatably mounted spindle of the spindle drive bears axially against a support plate which is fixed in the axial direction, such that the support plate is subjected to a bending moment when the brake piston is extended, wherein at least one stress sensor for measuring the bending moment is arranged on the support plate. A method for producing a brake actuator assembly is further provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 7, 2023
    Publication date: March 14, 2024
    Inventor: Andreas Marx
  • Publication number: 20240083404
    Abstract: In a method for operating a force-sensor-less electromechanical service brake of a vehicle, a current profile of a force-displacement characteristic is determined and stored during a closing of a parking brake when the vehicle is being parked. The current profile of the force-displacement characteristic is used during a subsequent trip to set a required braking force on the electromechanical service brake.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 12, 2023
    Publication date: March 14, 2024
    Inventors: Andreas Marx, Fabian Querbach
  • Publication number: 20240083406
    Abstract: A brake system of a vehicle, with electromechanical service brakes on at least one axle designed without force sensors, having a control unit designed to control a braking operation for meeting a braking demand by activating the electromechanical service brakes of all the axles. An acquisition element on each of the electromechanical service brakes acquires a parameter from which a current brake touch point of the electromechanical service brake in question can be determined. For operating the brake system, the brakes on one of the axles of the vehicle are actuated during a braking operation. A current value of a brake touch point of the electromechanical service brakes on another axle that is currently not being used to provide the brake force of the ongoing braking operation is determined. An air gap of those electromechanical service brakes is set according to the current value of the brake touch point.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 11, 2023
    Publication date: March 14, 2024
    Inventors: Andreas Marx, Fabian Querbach
  • Publication number: 20240083403
    Abstract: In a method for operating a force-sensor-less electromechanical service brake in a brake system of a vehicle, a current value of a braking contact point and a current profile of a force-displacement characteristic of the electromechanical service brake are determined as a function of the total rotation angle of a shaft of an electric motor of the electromechanical service brake. These values are determined in regular driving operation of the vehicle. In the case of a braking request, the electric motor is activated in accordance with the current value of the braking contact point and the current profile of the force-displacement characteristic in order to satisfy the braking request. The electric motor has a detection element, which detects the total rotation angle of the shaft and a rotation rate of the electric motor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 8, 2023
    Publication date: March 14, 2024
    Inventors: Andreas Marx, Fabian Querbach
  • Publication number: 20240075916
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a method for adapting a braking behaviour of a brake of a motor vehicle to a traffic situation, including: (i) adjusting a clearance of the brake to a value LK; (ii) determining the traffic situation; and (iii) adjusting the clearance to a value LA based on the determined traffic situation, wherein 0<LA<LK is satisfied.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 30, 2023
    Publication date: March 7, 2024
    Inventors: Andreas Marx, Fabian Querbach
  • Patent number: 11919490
    Abstract: A hydraulic motor vehicle braking system includes a first functional unit, a second functional unit and a switching device. The first functional unit comprises at least one first valve arrangement designed to optionally connect or disconnect at least one first wheel brake associated with a first axle to or from an existing hydraulic pressure, and at least one second valve arrangement designed to optionally connect or disconnect at least one second wheel brake associated with a second axle to or from an existing hydraulic pressure. The second functional unit comprises at least one second electrical brake pressure generator, by means of which a brake pressure can be generated on at least the at least one second wheel brake, and a second control system which is designed to control the at least one second electrical brake pressure generator for a brake pressure regulation on at least the at least one second wheel brake in the event of a failure of the first functional unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: ZF Active Safety GmbH
    Inventors: Nicholas Alford, Andreas Marx, Oliver Wolf
  • Publication number: 20240052899
    Abstract: The invention relates to an electrohydraulic brake unit (10) for a motor vehicle, comprising a pressure source (36) designed as an actuator (30), at least one brake piston (70, 80), and a brake circuit (38), which connects the pressure source (36) and the at least one brake piston (70, 80) to one another, wherein the pressure source (36), the at least one brake piston (70, 80) and the brake circuit (38) are arranged in a wheel brake. The invention moreover relates to a vehicle having such an electrohydraulic brake unit (10) and a method for activating the electrohydraulic brake unit (10).
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 2, 2023
    Publication date: February 15, 2024
    Inventors: Blaise Ganzel, Andreas Marx
  • Publication number: 20240052902
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a method for determining the wear of a brake of a motor vehicle having a brake piston, an actuator, a first brake lining, a second brake lining, a friction partner and a mounting, where the brake piston is held on a spindle of the brake and can be moved axially along the spindle between the actuator and the friction partner.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 1, 2023
    Publication date: February 15, 2024
    Inventors: Andreas Marx, Nicholas Alford
  • Patent number: 11820342
    Abstract: A hydraulic motor vehicle braking system includes a first sensor device, a first functional unit, a second functional unit and a switching device. The first functional unit comprises at least one first electrical brake pressure generator, by means of which a brake pressure can be generated on respective wheel brakes, and a first control system which is designed to control the at least one first electrical brake pressure generator on the basis of a sensor signal of the sensor device. The second functional unit comprises at least one second electrical brake pressure generator, by means of which a brake pressure can be respectively generated on a subset of the wheel brakes, and a second control system which is designed to control the at least one second electrical brake pressure generator on the basis of the sensor signal in the event of a failure of the first functional unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignee: ZF Active Safety GmbH
    Inventors: Nicholas Alford, Andreas Marx
  • Publication number: 20230304550
    Abstract: An electromechanical vehicle brake has an electric motor and an actuation piston, which acts on a braking assembly, as well as a ball screw drive. The ball screw drive comprises a spindle rotatable by the electric motor and a ball screw nut displaceable on the spindle. The ball screw nut is received in the actuation piston and cooperates with a stop on an inner axial end of the actuation piston to displace the actuation piston in an actuation direction. A spring element is arranged in the actuation piston between the stop and the ball screw nut. A travel sensor measures a linear displacement of the actuation piston. With the aid of the signal of the travel sensor, which indicates a displacement position of the actuation piston, a braking force currently applied by the actuation piston to the braking assembly is determined under consideration of the characteristic curve of the spring element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 21, 2023
    Publication date: September 28, 2023
    Inventors: Fabian Querbach, Andreas Marx, Roman Bechmann
  • Publication number: 20230303063
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a method for operating a braking system of a vehicle during autonomous parking processes, including a first electronic control unit, a service brake system, and a partial braking system. The first control unit is designed for activating the service brake system and the partial braking system, in which an autonomous parking process is initiated, followed by an activation of the service brake system by the first control unit to generate a braking force. In the event of a failure of the service brake system, the partial braking system is activated by the first control unit to generate a braking force while the autonomous parking process is continued by utilising the partial braking system. The disclosure also relates to a vehicle control system for controlling autonomous parking processes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 20, 2023
    Publication date: September 28, 2023
    Inventors: Andreas Marx, Frank Einig, Frank Schmidt, Eugen Lanze
  • Publication number: 20230302897
    Abstract: A device for detecting a driver demand, the device outputting a purely electronic actuating signal, includes an actuating surface, for a foot of a user, the actuating surface being displaceable in an actuation direction in order to generate the actuating signal. At least two compression bodies arranged one behind the other in the actuation direction are provided, each of which has one elastic element and one rigid element, which are arranged one behind the other in the actuation direction in such a way that one rigid element acts on one elastic element when the actuating surface is acted upon by an actuation force. In addition, a sensor system is provided, the signal of which permits an inference to be made regarding the displacement of the actuating surface and is usable for generating the actuating signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2023
    Publication date: September 28, 2023
    Inventor: Andreas Marx
  • Publication number: 20230278534
    Abstract: A brake-by-wire brake system for a vehicle having at least two wheels which can be braked is specified. The brake system comprises at least two brake actuator units, which each have a brake actuator assigned to one of the wheels, which can be braked, for the purposes of braking the vehicle during driving operation. The brake system furthermore comprises a driver brake actuation unit for actuation by the driver for a braking operation, having at least one sensor for detecting an activation of the driver brake actuation unit by the driver, and at least one electronic control unit which is configured to activate one or both brake actuator units in order to impart a braking force to an associated wheel, wherein the driver brake actuation unit is coupled, for transmission of signals, to the at least one electronic control unit. The driver_brake actuation unit has an interface for a controller that is independent of the brake system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 1, 2023
    Publication date: September 7, 2023
    Inventor: Andreas Marx