Patents by Inventor Christoph Ruchardt

Christoph Ruchardt 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: 6687586
    Abstract: In a method for determining evaluation data for transmissions in vehicles, data is measured in the vehicle via sensors, the measured data is used to form intermediate data specific to the vehicle and then, from the measured data and the intermediate data, evaluation data is determined which is shown, stored or transmitted to a data collecting station.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2004
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Wilhelm Härdtle, Christoph Rüchardt
  • Patent number: 6633006
    Abstract: The method for determining the mass of a vehicle comprises at least two measurements (6, 8) offset in time within a measuring period by which are determined respectively at least one traction variable (2) and at least one movement variable (4) of the vehicle, one of the two measurements (8) being effected during a traction-free phase and the other of the two measurements (6) during a traction phase. According to the invention, it is proposed that each of the two measurements comprises one data collection period (6, 8) the duration of which is longer than a minimum duration, that the traction variable corresponds to the timed integral of the traction and the movement variable to the change of speed of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2003
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Andreas Wolf, Matthias Winkel, Christoph Rüchardt, Bertram Wengert, Jürgen Müller
  • Patent number: 6519522
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for determining a starting gear step for a vehicle with a stepped variable speed transmission with several gear steps. It is proposed that a maximum admissible value for a slip time (12) and/or a maximum admissible value for a frictional work (14) of the starting clutch during the starting process, the same as an available engine torque (10) for starting be determined, that beginning with a highest suitable gear step (18) for starting, values for the slip time (20) and/or the frictional work (22) be calculated in advance depending on the vehicle mass (8), that the precalculated values (20, 22) be compared with the maximum admissible values (12, 14), that the calculation loop be repeated with the next smaller suitable gear step for starting when at least one of the precalculated values is greater than the maximum admissible values and that a gear step be issued as starting gear step when the precalculated values are smaller than or equal to the maximum admissible values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2003
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Andreas Wolf, Matthias Winkel, Christoph Rüchardt, Bertram Wengert, Jürgen Müller
  • Patent number: 6456923
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for detecting cornering for a vehicle (2) with automatic transmission. According to the invention it is proposed that the current bend radius be determined from the rotational speed signals of the front wheels, that the beginning of a cornering mode be determined when the current bend radius falls below a first limit bend radius and the end of a cornering mode be determined when the vehicle has covered a presettable distance after exceeding a second limit bend radius.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2002
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Andreas Wolf, Matthias Winkel, Christoph Rüchardt, Bertram Wengert, Jürgen Müller
  • Patent number: 6412361
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for determining a starting gear step for a vehicle with a multi-speed stepped variable transmission, wherein the starting gear step is determined by an electronic control device which is dependent on the vehicle mass; and a second variable which depends on the vehicle state is determined from the vehicle mass, the current traction and the current vehicle acceleration resulting therefrom.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2002
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Andreas Wolf, Matthias Winkel, Christoph Rüchardt, Bertram Wengert, Jürgen Müller
  • Publication number: 20020077730
    Abstract: In a method for determining evaluation data for transmissions in vehicles, data is measured in the vehicle via sensors, the measured data is used to form intermediate data specific to the vehicle and then, from the measured data and the intermediate data, evaluation data is determined which is shown, stored or transmitted to a data collecting station.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2001
    Publication date: June 20, 2002
    Inventors: Wilhelm Hardtle, Christoph Ruchardt
  • Patent number: 5170197
    Abstract: This invention relates to a pan head (1) for supporting a device, preferably a film or television camera (2), having a stator (6) and a rotor (7) swiveling about a pitch axis (A) of the stator (6), whereby the rotor (7) supports the device (2). To permit determination of the torque between the rotor and stator with the device fitted on, and thus to facilitate e.g. the "balancing" of the fitted device in the zero position of the rotor (7), a torque sensor (31) is integrated into the pan head (1) for detecting the torque in several pitching positions of the rotor (7).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 1991
    Date of Patent: December 8, 1992
    Assignee: Sachtler AG Kommunikationstechnik
    Inventors: Gunther Schmidt, Christoph Ruchardt, Erwin Tillschneider