Patents by Inventor Christian A. Mai

Christian A. Mai 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: 20230305142
    Abstract: A vehicular radar sensing system includes a radar sensor disposed at a vehicle and having a printed circuit board (PCB). The radar sensor includes an antenna structure having a transmitting port for a transmitter of the radar sensor and a receiving port for a receiver of the radar sensor. The antenna structure includes a wall structure that extends from a first side of the antenna structure toward a first side of the PCB to at least partially define a transmitting area and a receiving area to isolate radio frequency signals at the transmitting area from radio frequency signals at the receiving area. The antenna structure includes a transmitting wave-guide that guides transmitted radio signals from the transmitter through the transmitting area to the transmitting port. The antenna structure includes a receiving wave-guide that guides received radio signals from the receiving port through the receiving area to the receiver.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 23, 2023
    Publication date: September 28, 2023
    Inventors: Ha Bui-Van, Christian Mai, Wilhelm Johann Wolfgang Wöhlte
  • Patent number: 11647602
    Abstract: A radar sensor for a vehicular radar sensing system includes a housing structure and at least one printed circuit board (PCB). The housing structure includes a front housing and a rear housing. The PCB is accommodated between the front housing and the rear housing in a cavity established when the front housing and the rear housing are joined together. The rear housing may be joined to the front housing via an intermediate frame disposed between the front housing and the rear housing, with the rear housing secured to the intermediate frame via a plurality of fasteners and with the front housing secured to the intermediate frame via welding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: MAGNA ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventor: Christian Mai
  • Publication number: 20220244614
    Abstract: The present invention relates to producing an electro-optical phase shifter such that it may be integrated into a front-end of line of an electronic-photonic integrated circuit. A conducting bottom layer with a first refractive index is provided. A center layer including a ferroelectric material and with a second refractive index is provided on top of a first region of the conducting bottom layer, such that the center layer is not on top of a second region of the conducting bottom layer. A conducting top layer with a third refractive index is provided on top of the center layer. The second refractive index is lower than the first refractive index and lower than the third refractive index, such that the conducting bottom layer, the center layer, and the conducting top layer form a slot waveguide. A first electrical connector which connects the second region of the conducting bottom layer with an upper layer is provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 2, 2022
    Publication date: August 4, 2022
    Inventors: Andreas MAI, Patrick STEGLICH, Christian MAI
  • Publication number: 20220197066
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a slot waveguide formed by a vertical material stack comprising a top layer with a first refractive index, a center layer including a ferroelectric material and with a second refractive index, and a Si1-xGex pseudosubstrate layer with 0<x?1 and with a third refractive index. The center layer is grown on the Si1-xGex pseudosubstrate layer. The second refractive index is lower than the first refractive index and lower than the third refractive index. The slot waveguide can be included in a phase-shifter including two vertically arranged electrodes configured for providing a vertical electrical field (E) extending between the top layer and the bottom layer of the slot waveguide and for providing a complementary-metal-oxide-semiconductor compatible driver voltage. The phase-shifter can be configured for providing a linear electro-optical effect inside the center layer of the slot waveguide.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2021
    Publication date: June 23, 2022
    Applicant: Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin für Materialien und Energie GmbH
    Inventors: Andreas MAI, Patrick STEGLICH, Christian MAI, Catherine DUBOURDIEU, Veeresh DESHPANDE, Dong-Jik KIM
  • Publication number: 20210385963
    Abstract: A radar sensor for a vehicular radar sensing system includes a housing structure and at least one printed circuit board (PCB). The housing structure includes a front housing and a rear housing. The PCB is accommodated between the front housing and the rear housing in a cavity established when the front housing and the rear housing are joined together. The rear housing may be joined to the front housing via an intermediate frame disposed between the front housing and the rear housing, with the rear housing secured to the intermediate frame via a plurality of fasteners and with the front housing secured to the intermediate frame via welding.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 16, 2021
    Publication date: December 9, 2021
    Inventor: Christian Mai
  • Patent number: 11096301
    Abstract: A radar sensor for a vehicular radar sensing system includes a housing structure and at least one printed circuit board (PCB). The housing structure includes a front housing and a rear housing. The PCB is accommodated between the front housing and the rear housing in a cavity established within the housing structure when the front housing and the rear housing are joined together. The rear housing may be joined to the front housing via a clip that at least partially circumscribes a junction between the front housing and the rear housing. The rear housing may be joined to the front housing via an intermediate frame disposed between the front housing and the rear housing, with the rear housing secured to the intermediate frame via a plurality of fasteners and with the front housing secured to the intermediate frame via welding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2021
    Assignee: MAGNA ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventor: Christian Mai
  • Patent number: 11092742
    Abstract: The invention relates to a photonic sensor chip comprising a semiconductor substrate with a cavity extending from a back side through an entire depth of the semiconductor substrate, a photonic plane located on the front side of the semiconductor substrate. The chip includes a photonic particle sensor element with an active-surface element having an exposed active surface facing towards the back side of the semiconductor substrate, for capturing selected particles from at least one fluid or gas to which the active surface is exposable. The cavity provides access to the active surface from the back side. The photonic particle sensor element receives an optical input wave via the photonic plane, to expose captured particles on the active-surface element to interaction with the optical input wave and to provide a resulting optical output wave having a spectral component indicative of the interaction between the optical input wave and captured particles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2021
    Inventors: Patrick Steglich, Andreas Mai, Christian Mai
  • Patent number: 10910744
    Abstract: A vehicular camera includes a front housing portion that accommodates a lens and an imager, a circuit board disposed at the front housing portion, a rear housing portion and a coaxial connecting element at the rear housing portion. The coaxial connecting element includes a first coaxial connector portion and a second coaxial connector portion. The first coaxial connector portion extends outward from the rear housing portion and the second coaxial connector portion extends inward from the rear housing portion. The circuit board has a coaxial connector established thereat. When the rear housing portion is mated with the front housing portion, the second coaxial connector portion electrically connects to the coaxial connector to electrically connect the coaxial connecting element with circuitry at the circuit board. The first coaxial connector portion is configured to connect to a coaxial cable of a vehicle when the vehicular camera is disposed at the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2021
    Assignee: MAGNA ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Jonathan D. Conger, Steven V. Byrne, Nazar F. Bally, Achim Newiger, Christian Mai
  • Patent number: 10833056
    Abstract: The invention relates to an electrooptical device comprising a semiconductor substrate having a front side and a back side, at least one photonic component arranged on the front side of the semiconductor substrate, the photonic component comprising an active layer made of a non-linear optical material, wherein at least one cavity, extends through the semiconductor substrate and connects the active layer on the front side of the semiconductor substrate with the back side of the semiconductor substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2020
    Assignee: IHP GMBH—INNOVATIONS FOR HIGH PERFORMANCE MICROELECTRONICS/LEIBNIZ-INSTITUT FUR INNOVATIVE MIKROELEKTRONIK
    Inventors: Patrick Steglich, Andreas Mai, Christian Mai, Sigurd Schrader
  • Publication number: 20200321716
    Abstract: A vehicular camera includes a front housing portion that accommodates a lens and an imager, a circuit board disposed at the front housing portion, a rear housing portion and a coaxial connecting element at the rear housing portion. The coaxial connecting element includes a first coaxial connector portion and a second coaxial connector portion. The first coaxial connector portion extends outward from the rear housing portion and the second coaxial connector portion extends inward from the rear housing portion. The circuit board has a coaxial connector established thereat. When the rear housing portion is mated with the front housing portion, the second coaxial connector portion electrically connects to the coaxial connector to electrically connect the coaxial connecting element with circuitry at the circuit board. The first coaxial connector portion is configured to connect to a coaxial cable of a vehicle when the vehicular camera is disposed at the vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 18, 2020
    Publication date: October 8, 2020
    Inventors: Jonathan D. Conger, Steven V. Byme, Nazar F. Bally, Achim Newiger, Christian Mai
  • Publication number: 20200221599
    Abstract: A radar sensor for a vehicular radar sensing system includes a housing structure and at least one printed circuit board (PCB). The housing structure includes a front housing and a rear housing. The PCB is accommodated between the front housing and the rear housing in a cavity established within the housing structure when the front housing and the rear housing are joined together. The rear housing may be joined to the front housing via a clip that at least partially circumscribes a junction between the front housing and the rear housing. The rear housing may be joined to the front housing via an intermediate frame disposed between the front housing and the rear housing, with the rear housing secured to the intermediate frame via a plurality of fasteners and with the front housing secured to the intermediate frame via welding.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 2, 2020
    Publication date: July 9, 2020
    Inventor: Christian Mai
  • Publication number: 20200200972
    Abstract: The invention relates to a photonic sensor chip comprising a semiconductor substrate with a cavity extending from a back side through an entire depth of the semiconductor substrate, a photonic plane located on the front side of the semiconductor substrate. The chip includes a photonic particle sensor element with an active-surface element having an exposed active surface facing towards the back side of the semiconductor substrate, for capturing selected particles from at least one fluid or gas to which the active surface is exposable. The cavity provides access to the active surface from the back side. The photonic particle sensor element receives an optical input wave via the photonic plane, to expose captured particles on the active-surface element to interaction with the optical input wave and to provide a resulting optical output wave having a spectral component indicative of the interaction between the optical input wave and captured particles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2019
    Publication date: June 25, 2020
    Inventors: Patrick STEGLICH, Andreas MAI, Christian MAI
  • Patent number: 10658774
    Abstract: A method of assembling a vehicular camera includes providing a front housing portion and a rear housing portion and attaching a circuit board at the front housing portion. A one-piece coaxial connecting element is provided at the rear housing portion. With the coaxial connecting element provided at the rear housing portion, a first coaxial cable connector extends outward from the outer side of the rear housing portion and a second coaxial cable connector extends inward from the inner side of the rear housing portion. As the rear housing portion is mated with the front housing portion, the second coaxial cable connector engages the third coaxial cable connector at the circuit board to electrically connect the coaxial connecting element with circuitry at the circuit board. The first coaxial cable connector is configured to connect to a coaxial cable of a vehicle when the vehicular camera is disposed at the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2020
    Assignee: MAGNA ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Jonathan D. Conger, Steven V. Byrne, Nazar F. Bally, Achim Newiger, Christian Mai
  • Publication number: 20190386413
    Abstract: A method of assembling a vehicular camera includes providing a front housing portion and a rear housing portion and attaching a circuit board at the front housing portion. A one-piece coaxial connecting element is provided at the rear housing portion. With the coaxial connecting element provided at the rear housing portion, a first coaxial cable connector extends outward from the outer side of the rear housing portion and a second coaxial cable connector extends inward from the inner side of the rear housing portion. As the rear housing portion is mated with the front housing portion, the second coaxial cable connector engages the third coaxial cable connector at the circuit board to electrically connect the coaxial connecting element with circuitry at the circuit board. The first coaxial cable connector is configured to connect to a coaxial cable of a vehicle when the vehicular camera is disposed at the vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 29, 2019
    Publication date: December 19, 2019
    Inventors: Jonathan D. Conger, Steven V. Byrne, Nazar F. Bally, Achim Newiger, Christian Mai
  • Patent number: 10367281
    Abstract: A camera for a vehicular vision system includes a front housing portion, a circuit board and a rear housing portion. The front housing portion includes a lens and the rear housing portion includes a coaxial connecting element for electrically connecting to a vehicle cable. The coaxial connecting element includes a first coaxial cable connector at a first end of the coaxial connecting element that extends outward from the outer side of the rear housing portion and a second coaxial cable connector at a second end of the coaxial connecting element that extends inward from the inner side of the rear housing portion. The circuit board has a third coaxial cable connector established thereat. As the rear housing portion is mated with the front housing portion, the second coaxial cable connector engages the third coaxial cable connector to electrically connect the coaxial connecting element with circuitry at the circuit board.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2019
    Assignee: MAGNA ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Jonathan D. Conger, Steven V. Byrne, Nazar F. Bally, Achim Newiger, Christian Mai
  • Publication number: 20190206850
    Abstract: The invention relates to an electrooptical device comprising a semiconductor substrate having a front side and a back side, at least one photonic component arranged on the front side of the semiconductor substrate, the photonic component comprising an active layer made of a non-linear optical material, wherein at least one cavity, extends through the semiconductor substrate and connects the active layer on the front side of the semiconductor substrate with the back side of the semiconductor substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2018
    Publication date: July 4, 2019
    Inventors: Patrick Steglich, Andreas Mai, Christian Mai, Sigurd Schrader
  • Publication number: 20190081423
    Abstract: A camera for a vehicular vision system includes a front housing portion, a circuit board and a rear housing portion. The front housing portion includes a lens and the rear housing portion includes a coaxial connecting element for electrically connecting to a vehicle cable. The coaxial connecting element includes a first coaxial cable connector at a first end of the coaxial connecting element that extends outward from the outer side of the rear housing portion and a second coaxial cable connector at a second end of the coaxial connecting element that extends inward from the inner side of the rear housing portion. The circuit board has a third coaxial cable connector established thereat. As the rear housing portion is mated with the front housing portion, the second coaxial cable connector engages the third coaxial cable connector to electrically connect the coaxial connecting element with circuitry at the circuit board.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 12, 2018
    Publication date: March 14, 2019
    Inventors: Jonathan D. Conger, Steven V. Byrne, Nazar F. Bally, Achim Newiger, Christian Mai
  • Patent number: 10154185
    Abstract: A camera for a vehicle vision system includes a front housing portion, a circuit board, and a rear housing portion having a connector portion for connection of a vehicle coaxial cable. The circuit board includes a first solder pad for soldering a core pin connecting element, and a second solder pad that partially circumscribes the first solder pad for soldering a shielding connecting element. The second solder pad only partially circumscribes the first solder pad so as to have a gap between opposing ends of the second solder pad. The gap is configured to allow for escape of gases that evaporate out of the solder during the soldering process. The core pin connecting element electrically connects between a core pin of the connected coaxial cable and circuitry of the circuit board and the shielding connecting element electrically connects between shielding of the coaxial cable and circuitry of the circuit board.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2018
    Assignee: MAGNA ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Marc-Andre Sigle, Achim Newiger, Christian Mai, Benjamin Peter
  • Patent number: 10128595
    Abstract: A camera for a vision system of a vehicle includes a front housing portion, a circuit board and a rear housing portion. The front housing portion includes a lens and the rear housing portion includes first and second connectors for electrically connecting to a vehicle wire harness when the camera is disposed at a vehicle. The circuit board includes circuitry established thereat, with the circuitry being associated with an imager of the camera. The first connector includes a multi-pin connector portion having at least one terminal for electrically connecting to at least one first circuit element at the circuit board. The second connector includes a coaxial cable connector portion that receives a connecting end of a coaxial cable for electrical connection to at least one second circuit element at the circuit board. The first and second connectors are at least in part molded at the rear housing portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2018
    Assignee: MAGNA ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Jonathan D. Conger, Steven V. Byrne, Nazar F. Bally, Achim Newiger, Christian Mai
  • Publication number: 20170366716
    Abstract: A camera for a vehicle vision system includes a front housing portion, a circuit board, and a rear housing portion having a connector portion for connection of a vehicle coaxial cable. The circuit board includes a first solder pad for soldering a core pin connecting element, and a second solder pad that partially circumscribes the first solder pad for soldering a shielding connecting element. The second solder pad only partially circumscribes the first solder pad so as to have a gap between opposing ends of the second solder pad. The gap is configured to allow for escape of gases that evaporate out of the solder during the soldering process. The core pin connecting element electrically connects between a core pin of the connected coaxial cable and circuitry of the circuit board and the shielding connecting element electrically connects between shielding of the coaxial cable and circuitry of the circuit board.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 12, 2017
    Publication date: December 21, 2017
    Inventors: Marc-Andre Sigle, Achim Newiger, Christian Mai, Benjamin Peter