Patents by Inventor Bernd Pfaffeneder

Bernd Pfaffeneder 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: 9709044
    Abstract: A method for supplying vacuum for a pneumatic brake booster for a motor vehicle braking system, using an electromotively-driven displacement type pump assembly. At least one pressure sensor for monitoring a pneumatic pressure is associated with the pump assembly, and electric signals of the pressure sensor are fed to an electronic unit, analyzed, and processed in order to regulate the pressure. A plausibility check of the pressure sensor signal is carried out by a pressure value amplitude being determined, by signal analysis, in the form of a difference between a maximum pressure value and a minimum pressure value within a stroke of the displacement element, and this being compared to a stored comparison value wherein if the pressure value amplitude deviates from the comparison value by a defined amount, the signal of the pressure sensor is then defined as implausible.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2017
    Assignee: Continental Teves AG & Co. oHG
    Inventors: Alexander Kalbeck, Bernd Pfaffeneder, Jürgen Stürzer
  • Publication number: 20150322930
    Abstract: A method for supplying vacuum for a pneumatic brake booster for a motor vehicle braking system, using an electromotively-driven displacement type pump assembly. At least one pressure sensor for monitoring a pneumatic pressure is associated with the pump assembly, and electric signals of the pressure sensor are fed to an electronic unit, analysed, and processed in order to regulate the pressure. A plausibility check of the pressure sensor signal is carried out by a pressure value amplitude being determined, by signal analysis, in the form of a difference between a maximum pressure value and a minimum pressure value within a stroke of the displacement element, and this being compared to a stored comparison value wherein if the pressure value amplitude deviates from the comparison value by a defined amount, the signal of the pressure sensor is then defined as implausible.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 6, 2013
    Publication date: November 12, 2015
    Inventors: Alexander Kalbeck, Bernd Pfaffeneder, Jürgen Stürzer
  • Patent number: 9020684
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method for monitoring the function of a safety monitoring system of a control unit of an actuator system of a motor vehicle, wherein it is checked by the function monitoring whether the safety monitoring is performed faultlessly, wherein the safety monitoring is carried out by a first monitoring entity and the function monitoring is carried out by a second monitoring entity, wherein the first monitoring entity sends a result of the safety monitoring as an information item to the second monitoring entity at defined time intervals, wherein the first monitoring entity and the second monitoring entity are free of a common interface, wherein the information item is received by the second monitoring entity by utilizing an interface between the second monitoring entity and the control unit, and wherein the information item is coded in a format which cannot be interpreted by the control unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2015
    Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH
    Inventors: Bernd Pfaffeneder, Alexander Kalbeck, Stefan Goss
  • Publication number: 20140168826
    Abstract: An electric vacuum pump actuating module for boosting the braking force of a motor vehicle, including a main controller and a driver circuit for operating the electric vacuum pump. The driver circuit includes a first and a second switch. The first switch switches a supply voltage above a predefined voltage level of an operating voltage of the vacuum pump. The second switch switches a supply voltage below the voltage level of the vacuum pump. The main controller controls the first switch by first control signals and the second switch by second control signals. The actuating module determines a state of the electric vacuum pump as a first piece of information based on a first response of the electric vacuum pump resulting from the first or second control signals. The actuating module assesses the state of the electric vacuum pump as error-free or erroneous operation of the electric vacuum pump.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 10, 2012
    Publication date: June 19, 2014
    Applicant: Continental Automotive GmBH
    Inventors: Alexander Kalbeck, Jürgen Schicke, Bernd Pfaffeneder, Michael Irsigler
  • Publication number: 20140012463
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method for monitoring the function of a safety monitoring system of a control unit of an actuator system of a motor vehicle, wherein it is checked by the function monitoring whether the safety monitoring is performed faultlessly, wherein the safety monitoring is carried out by a first monitoring entity and the function monitoring is carried out by a second monitoring entity, wherein the first monitoring entity sends a result of the safety monitoring as an information item to the second monitoring entity at defined time intervals, wherein the first monitoring entity and the second monitoring entity are free of a common interface, wherein the information item is received by the second monitoring entity by utilizing an interface between the second monitoring entity and the control unit, and wherein the information item is coded in a format which cannot be interpreted by the control unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 24, 2012
    Publication date: January 9, 2014
    Inventors: Bernd Pfaffeneder, Alexander Kalbeck, Stefan Goss
  • Publication number: 20130342147
    Abstract: An assembly for controlling an electric vacuum pump for a vehicle, which is connectable by at least one switch, which can be controlled by an electronic control unit, to a supply voltage, wherein the electronic control unit in a start-up phase connects the vacuum pump to an additional electrical resistor between the supply voltage and the vacuum pump.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 24, 2012
    Publication date: December 26, 2013
    Applicant: CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE GMBH
    Inventors: Dieter Bidlingmeyer, Alexander Kalbeck, Bernd Pfaffeneder, Michael Irsigler, Christian Märkl
  • Patent number: 7421366
    Abstract: A bus station for connection to a bus system for a restraining device and/or sensor is used for muting a defective bus station or to have automatic error management carried out in the bus station, to enable the bus station to transmit properly again. For this purpose, the transmitting current and/or the power consumption of the bus station is monitored. The transmitting stage is triggered and, if appropriate, isolated from the bus station as a function of this monitoring. In a refinement a backup transmitting stage may be connected as a replacement for the defective transmitting stage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2008
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Werner Nitschke, Klaus-Dieter Meier, Knut Balzer, Ewald Mauritz, Heiko Buehring, Hans Bogenrieder, Bernd Pfaffeneder, Holger Wulff
  • Patent number: 7400641
    Abstract: A bus master for a bus for connection of sensors and/or an ignition means device, which has at least two bus driver arrangements allowing data to be received independently of one another. For this purpose a polling operation, specifically using a multiplexer or a demodulator associated through one of the particular bus driver arrangements, is used. Furthermore, a state machine is provided, which also alternatingly determines the system status on the basis of the measured quantities determined on the bus conductor for the particular bus driver arrangement. In a refinement, a particular bus driver may have a dedicated processor for system status determination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2008
    Assignees: Robert Bosch GmbH, Conti Temic Microelectronics GmbH, Siemens AG
    Inventors: Werner Nitschke, Klaus-Dieter Meier, Knut Balzer, Ewald Mauritz, Heiko Buehring, Hans Bogenrieder, Bernd Pfaffeneder, Hölger Wulff
  • Patent number: 7197667
    Abstract: The error-free function of modules in a bus system with a central unit is tested. First, all (error-free) modules are set into a silent operating mode in response to an agreed silence-command, and then in this silent operating mode it is tested whether all modules still remain silent, i.e. do not transmit data, in response to an agreed data request allocated to these modules. A module that nonetheless transmits data is recognized as faulty and is deactivated. Subsequently, all modules except for a module to be tested are set into the silent operating mode, and then it is tested whether this test module transmits its data in response to the agreed data requests allocated to it and remains silent in response to the data requests not allocated to it. Additionally, the position of the return-transmitted data can be determined and compared with a nominal position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2007
    Assignees: Conti Temic microelectronic GmbH, Robert Bosch GmbH, Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Hans-Georg Bogenrieder, Holger Wulff, Heiko Buehring, Ewald Mauritz, Klaus-Dieter Meier, Bernd Pfaffeneder
  • Patent number: 7176587
    Abstract: A sensor adapted for connection to a bus and a method for supplying power to a sensor connected to a bus are described, which serve to minimize the power consumption of a sensor connected to the bus. To this end, power for a sensor is stored in an energy storage device in a first time period and is discharged in a second time period, that is, the measurement time, in order to supply the sensor element with power. A capacitor is used as the energy storage device, and the charging of the capacitor is monitored by a voltage monitoring device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2007
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Werner Nitschke, Klaus-Dieter Meier, Knut Balzer, Ewald Mauritz, Heiko Buehring, Hans Bogenrieder, Bernd Pfaffeneder, Holger Wulff
  • Patent number: 7016770
    Abstract: The invention relates to the use of a first coding or decoding rule for a normal operation and of a second coding or decoding rule for a particular operation. Said invention provides the opportunity for speedily transmitting data between different satellite devices arranged in a motor vehicle and an evaluation unit arranged, for example in the central part thereof, even when the data bus (31, 32) of a transmission channel CAN (3) is externally short circuited, for example by a traffic accident, i.e. the data bus BUS L (32) and the data bus BUS H (31) are connected to earth (GND) or to a battery (Vbat). The invention can be used, in particular for protecting passengers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2006
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Bernd Pfaffeneder
  • Publication number: 20050273210
    Abstract: The invention relates to the use of a first coding or decoding rule for a normal operation and of a second coding or decoding rule for a particular operation. Said invention provides the opportunity for speedily transmitting data between different satellite devices arranged in a motor vehicle and an evaluation unit arranged, for example in the central part thereof, even when the data bus (31, 32) of a transmission channel CAN (3) is externally short circuited, for example by a traffic accident, i.e. the data bus BUS L (32) and the data bus BUS H (31) are connected to earth (GND) or to a battery (Vbat). The invention can be used, in particular for protecting passengers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2003
    Publication date: December 8, 2005
    Inventor: Bernd Pfaffeneder
  • Publication number: 20050076270
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for the testing of the error-free function of modules in a bus system with a central unit as well as suitable modules, a corresponding central unit and a corresponding bus system. For this purpose, an especially agreed-upon silence-command is provided, in response to which the modules in the error-free condition switch into a silent operating mode, and also expressly transmit no data particularly in response to the data requests allocated to the modules. By means of this silence-command, at first all modules can be set into the silent operating mode, and then by means of the agreed data request it can be tested whether all modules still switch into the silent operating mode. A module that nonetheless still transmits is recognized as faulty and is, for example, deactivated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 13, 2002
    Publication date: April 7, 2005
    Inventors: Hans-Geroge Bogenrieder, Holger Wulff, Heiko Buehring, Ewald Mauritz, Klaus-Dieter Meier, Bernd Pfaffeneder
  • Publication number: 20040172205
    Abstract: The invention relates to a sensor for connection to a bus and to a method for supplying energy to a sensor that is connected to a bus, which is designed to minimize energy consumption of a sensor connected to a bus. To this end, energy for a sensor is charged in an energy accumulator during a first period and discharged during a second period, that is, during the measuring time, with the purpose of supplying energy to the sensor element. A capacitor is used as energy accumulator and charging of the capacitor is monitored by the voltage monitoring device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 19, 2004
    Publication date: September 2, 2004
    Inventors: Werner Nitschke, Klaus-Dieter Meier, Knut Balzer, Ewald Mauritz, Heiko Buehring, Hans Bogenrieder, Bernd Pfaffeneder, Holger Wulff
  • Publication number: 20040148124
    Abstract: A bus station for connection to a bus system for restraining means and/or sensor is used for muting a defective bus station or to have automatic error management carried out in the bus station, to enable the bus station to transmit properly again. For this purpose, the transmitting current and/or the power consumption of the bus station is monitored. The transmitting stage is triggered and, if appropriate, isolated from the bus station as a function of this monitoring. In a refinement a backup transmitting stage may be connected as a replacement for the defective transmitting stage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2004
    Publication date: July 29, 2004
    Inventors: Werner Nitschke, Klaus-Dieter Meier, Knut Balzer, Ewald Mauritz, Heiko Buehring, Hans Bogenrieder, Bernd Pfaffeneder, Holger Wulff
  • Publication number: 20040148081
    Abstract: A bus master for a bus for connection of sensors and/or ignition means is described, which has at least two bus drivers allowing data to be received independently of one another. For this purpose a polling operation, specifically using a multiplexer or a demodulator associated through one of the particular bus drivers, is used. Furthermore, a state machine is provided, which also alternatingly determines the system status on the basis of the measured quantities determined on the bus conductor for the particular bus driver. In a refinement, a particular bus driver may have a dedicated processor for system status determination.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2004
    Publication date: July 29, 2004
    Inventors: Werner Nitschke, Klaus-Dieter Meier, Knut Balzer, Ewald Mauritz, Heiko Buehring, Hans Bogenrieder, Bernd Pfaffeneder, Holger Wulff
  • Patent number: 6157217
    Abstract: Computing units that are connected to one another via a bus system are synchronized in that two master units each cyclically output a time signal onto a data line of the bus system. The time signals are received by the computing unit to be synchronized. The unit checks the time signals with reference to its own time base. Particularly reliable synchronization of the computing units is ensured by this means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 1999
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2000
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Dirk Zittlau, Bernd Pfaffeneder