Patents by Inventor Christian KARBACHER

Christian KARBACHER 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: 11821343
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine comprises a crankshaft, at least one camshaft adjustable electromechanically by an actuating gearing, an engine control unit, and a camshaft control unit for controlling an actuating motor which operates the actuating gearing. The engine control unit is linked to a device for detecting the angular position of the crankshaft, and the camshaft control unit is linked to the engine control unit. A device for detecting a reference position of the camshaft and a device for detecting the angular position of the shaft of the actuating motor are provided as sole mechanisms for detecting the angular position of the camshaft. The camshaft control unit is designed to determine the phase angle of the camshaft in relation to the crankshaft on the basis of the information items provided by said devices in combination with the detected angular position of the crankshaft and the transmission ratio of the actuating gearing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignee: Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG
    Inventors: Tobias Riedl, Florian Holler, Christian Karbacher
  • Patent number: 11680498
    Abstract: An electromechanical camshaft phaser (3) comprises a setting gear (4) and an electric motor (5), which is controlled by means of an electric-motor control unit (6). Data concerning the operation of the electric motor (5) including position changes of its motor shaft are transferred via a data bus (8) from the electric-motor control unit (6) to an engine control unit (7) of the internal combustion engine (1) comprising the camshaft phaser (3). In addition, recurring time signals are transferred from the electric-motor control unit (6) to the engine control unit (7) via a separate line (9), by which harder real-time requirements are met than by the data bus (8).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignee: Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG
    Inventors: Tobias Riedl, Christian Karbacher
  • Publication number: 20220259991
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine comprises a crankshaft, at least one camshaft adjustable electromechanically by an actuating gearing, an engine control unit, and a camshaft control unit for controlling an actuating motor which operates the actuating gearing. The engine control unit is linked to a device for detecting the angular position of the crankshaft, and the camshaft control unit is linked to the engine control unit. A device for detecting a reference position of the camshaft and a device for detecting the angular position of the shaft of the actuating motor are provided as sole mechanisms for detecting the angular position of the camshaft. The camshaft control unit is designed to determine the phase angle of the camshaft in relation to the crankshaft on the basis of the information items provided by said devices in combination with the detected angular position of the crankshaft and the transmission ratio of the actuating gearing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 18, 2020
    Publication date: August 18, 2022
    Inventors: Tobias Riedl, Florian Holler, Christian Karbacher
  • Publication number: 20220220870
    Abstract: An electromechanical camshaft phaser (3) comprises a setting gear (4) and an electric motor (5), which is controlled by means of an electric-motor control unit (6). Data concerning the operation of the electric motor (5) including position changes of its motor shaft are transferred via a data bus (8) from the electric-motor control unit (6) to an engine control unit (7) of the internal combustion engine (1) comprising the camshaft phaser (3). In addition, recurring time signals are transferred from the electric-motor control unit (6) to the engine control unit (7) via a separate line (9), by which harder real-time requirements are met than by the data bus (8).
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 20, 2020
    Publication date: July 14, 2022
    Inventors: Tobias Riedl, Christian Karbacher
  • Patent number: 10920627
    Abstract: An adjusting unit of an internal combustion engine is provided, comprising an electric motor and a transmission interacting therewith, an adjusting shaft of the transmission being coupled to the rotor of the electric motor. A drive shafts of the transmission is coupled to the shaft which is to be adjusted. For controlling the electric motor, a sensorless control unit is provided outside of a housing of the electric motor which encloses the stator of the electric motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2021
    Assignee: Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG
    Inventors: Christian Karbacher, Peter Solfrank
  • Patent number: 10804824
    Abstract: A circuit, comprising a plurality of phase windings in an electric motor, an inverter configured to excite the phase windings by a sequence of voltage pulses including a plurality of successive voltage pulses that a current can be set in each of the phase windings, wherein the voltage pulses are selected in such a manner that a positive and a negative current are produced in all the phase windings during the voltage pulses, a current sensor for measuring a peak value for the current being set during a duration of each voltage pulse in each phase winding, and an evaluation circuit connected to the current sensor, wherein the evaluation circuit is configured to determine the voltage pulse in the voltage pulse sequence during a duration of which peak current value having a greatest magnitude was measured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2020
    Assignee: SCHAEFFLER TECHNOLOGIES AG & CO. KG
    Inventors: Andreas Thoelke, Christian Karbacher
  • Publication number: 20200200054
    Abstract: An adjusting unit of an internal combustion engine is provided, comprising an electric motor and a transmission interacting therewith, an adjusting shaft of the transmission being coupled to the rotor of the electric motor. A drive shafts of the transmission coupled to the shaft which is to be adjusted. For controlling the electric motor, a sensorless control unit is provided outside of a housing of the electric motor which encloses the stator of the electric motor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 15, 2017
    Publication date: June 25, 2020
    Applicant: Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG
    Inventors: Christian Karbacher, Peter Solfrank
  • Publication number: 20190280631
    Abstract: A circuit, comprising a plurality of phase windings in an electric motor, an inverter configured to excite the phase windings by a sequence of voltage pulses including a plurality of successive voltage pulses that a current can be set in each of the phase windings, wherein the voltage pulses are selected in such a manner that a positive and a negative current are produced in all the phase windings during the voltage pulses, a current sensor for measuring a peak value for the current being set during a duration of each voltage pulse in each phase winding, and an evaluation circuit connected to the current sensor, wherein the evaluation circuit is configured to determine the voltage pulse in the voltage pulse sequence during a duration of which peak current value having a greatest magnitude was measured.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2017
    Publication date: September 12, 2019
    Applicant: SCHAEFFLER TECHNOLOGIES AG & CO. KG
    Inventors: Andreas THOELKE, Christian KARBACHER