Patents by Inventor Christopher Hofer

Christopher Hofer 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: 20250046927
    Abstract: A battery pack for a vehicle includes a plurality of battery modules arranged in a first predetermined pattern, with each battery module of the plurality of battery modules including a plurality of battery cells arranged in a second predetermined pattern. Each battery module also includes an enclosure surrounding the plurality of cells and configured to function as a structural component of at least one of the battery pack or the vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 14, 2022
    Publication date: February 6, 2025
    Inventors: Christoph HÖFER, Mehmed BECIRBASIC, Johannes MARKTL
  • Publication number: 20250019021
    Abstract: A modular rolling chassis assembly for an electric vehicle includes a central housing extending from a front end to a rear end to define a central cavity. An electric energy storage system (ESS) is disposed or housed in the central cavity. A front suspension module is connected to the front end of the central housing and a rear suspension module is connected to rear end of the central housing to complete a modular build for the rolling chassis assembly which improves on the large, heavy and cost intensive integral chassis associated with the prior skateboard architectures.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 9, 2022
    Publication date: January 16, 2025
    Inventors: Mehmed BECIRBASIC, Christoph HÖFER, Gabor OESZ, Martin WINTER
  • Publication number: 20240165489
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a front unit (10) for a touring binding, which front unit is to be mounted on a sliding board and has a mounting surface pointing in the direction of a sliding board surface, which mounting surface defines a sliding board plane (E), the front unit (10) being adjustable between a downhill configuration and a climbing configuration, comprising a first holding device (20) which is designed to fix a front portion of a sliding board boot for downhill travel with the touring binding, in the downhill configuration of the front unit (10), the first holding device (20) being adjustable between an active position and a passive position, and the first holding device (20) being set into the active position in the downhill configuration of the front unit (10), and being set into the passive position in the climbing configuration of the front unit (10), and a second holding device (40), which is designed to secure a toe portion of the sliding board boot for ascent with the touring binding i
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 22, 2023
    Publication date: May 23, 2024
    Applicant: Salewa Sport AG
    Inventors: Fabian Eberwein, Christoph Hofer
  • Publication number: 20240131276
    Abstract: An insertion mechanism for a cannula includes a cannula housing, a displaceable cannula, at least one cannula holder, an insertion spring, a triggering element, and a safety device. The safety device, in a secured state, holds the triggering element in a blocked position against a force of the insertion spring and, in a released state, releases the triggering element such that the triggering element is movable into a release position by the force of said insertion energy store and the at least one cannula holder is able to move relative to the cannula housing, driven by the insertion energy store, so as to trigger or implement an insertion movement or insertion. To reach the released state, the safety mechanism is heatable by a heating element and softened and/or weakened with respect to its mechanical carrying or holding capacity, or severed or at least partially or completely melted.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 26, 2023
    Publication date: April 25, 2024
    Inventors: Thomas Buri, Christophe Hofer, Patrick Hostettler, Seline Staub, Jürg Steck, Ursina Streit
  • Patent number: 11911601
    Abstract: An insertion mechanism for a cannula includes a cannula housing, a displaceable cannula, at least one cannula holder, an insertion spring, a triggering element, and a safety device. The safety device, in a secured state, holds the triggering element in a blocked position against a force of the insertion spring and, in a released state, releases the triggering element such that the triggering element is movable into a release position by the force of said insertion energy store and the at least one cannula holder is able to move relative to the cannula housing, driven by the insertion energy store, so as to trigger or implement an insertion movement or insertion. To reach the released state, the safety mechanism is heatable by a heating element and softened and/or weakened with respect to its mechanical carrying or holding capacity, or severed or at least partially or completely melted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: TecMed AG
    Inventors: Thomas Buri, Christophe Hofer, Patrick Hostettler, Seline Staub, Jürg Steck, Ursina Streit
  • Patent number: 11891021
    Abstract: A load carrier (1) for a vehicle (25) has a plurality of movable, laterally spaced support arms (12, 13), which are configured to be releasably fastened to a carrier part (3, 3?, 3?). The load carrier (1) has a base part (2) to be permanently arranged on the vehicle (25), on which base part the plurality of support arms (12, 13) are jointly arranged. The plurality of support arms (12, 13) are jointly vertically displaceable, on the base part (10) with each being mounted to pivot about its own vertical axis (15).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: JOPINDO GMBH
    Inventors: Wolfgang Sailer, Christoph Kainzner, Christoph Hofer-Haas, Hansjörg Geisler
  • Publication number: 20230238762
    Abstract: A laser amplifier device including an amplification element which includes a solid-state gain medium including a first main face and a second main face separated from each other by a distance which is smaller than the lateral dimensions. A heat spreader is thermally connected to, and substantially covering, the first main face. The heat spreader is optically transparent to a pump light and is in thermal contact with a heat sink. A first reflector substantially covers and faces the first main face and a second reflector substantially covers and faces the second main face; the reflectors being configured to reflect the pump light. The heat spreader and the first reflector are arranged such that the pump light passes through the heat spreader and through the first reflector and is reflected multiple times across the amplification element, between the first and second reflectors.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2022
    Publication date: July 27, 2023
    Inventors: Steve Lecomte, Christoph Hofer, Erwin Portuondo-Campa
  • Publication number: 20230051829
    Abstract: Some implementations of the disclosure are directed to a method, comprising: receiving tapped data that was tapped from a controller of an industrial control system (ICS) while the controller executed first control code to control ICS devices of the ICS, the tapped data used during execution of the first control code, and the tapped data comprising input data obtained from one or more input components of the controller communicatively coupled to the ICS devices, or output data obtained from one or more output components of the controller communicatively coupled to the ICS devices; and after receiving the tapped data, executing, using at least the tapped data, second control code that provides an emulation of the controller, the emulation comprising running, using at least the tapped data, a process of the first control code at a faster rate than it is run by the controller executing the first control code.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 2, 2022
    Publication date: February 16, 2023
    Applicant: Disney Enterprises, Inc.
    Inventors: Justin Brock, Brian Walters, Nicholas Stantzos, Christopher Hofer, Mario Scarabino, Michael Tschanz
  • Patent number: 11550310
    Abstract: Some implementations of the disclosure are directed to tapping input/output (I/O) data from an industrial control system (ICS) or applying the tapped I/O data to a learned model to perform predictive or prescriptive maintenance. In one implementation, a method comprises: tapping I/O data from a controller of an ICS while the controller executes first control code to control one or more devices of the ICS; transmitting the tapped I/O data over a network to a second system; and executing, via the second system, second control code comprising an original or modified version of all or a subset of the first control code of the ICS, wherein the second control code executes in response to receiving the tapped I/O data. The output of executing the second control code may be provided to a model to predict a future event involving the ICS or to prescribe maintenance of the ICS.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2023
    Assignee: Disney Enterprises, Inc.
    Inventors: Justin Brock, Brian Walters, Nicholas Stantzos, Christopher Hofer, Mario Scarabino, Michael Tschanz
  • Patent number: 11406754
    Abstract: A disposable module that can be coupled to a reusable module in order to form a pump for dispensing a medicament substance to a user in a metered manner in a coupled state, comprising a housing that encases the following components: a reservoir for receiving the substance to be dispensed; and at least one extensible cannula, which is fluidically connected to the reservoir either after being inserted or in a permanent manner. The disposable module may also comprise an electrical energy store, wherein the electrical energy necessary for the reusable module can be obtained both from the disposable module and also from a rechargeable battery in the reusable module, in order to ensure redundancy of the energy necessary for the reusable module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: TECMED AG
    Inventors: Ursina Streit, Seline Staub, Thomas Buri, Patrick Hostettler, Juerg Steck, Christophe Hofer, Andreas Koehli, Florian Kuehni, Marc Labudde, Thomas Leuzinger
  • Publication number: 20220176886
    Abstract: A load carrier (1) for a vehicle (25) has a plurality of movable, laterally spaced support arms (12, 13), which are configured to be releasably fastened to a carrier part (3, 3?, 3?). The load carrier (1) has a base part (2) to be permanently arranged on the vehicle (25), on which base part the plurality of support arms (12, 13) are jointly arranged. The plurality of support arms (12, 13) are jointly vertically displaceable, on the base part (10) with each being mounted to pivot about its own vertical axis (15).
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 2, 2020
    Publication date: June 9, 2022
    Inventors: Wolfgang SAILER, Christoph KAINZNER, Christoph HOFER-HAAS, Hansjörg GEISLER
  • Publication number: 20210338924
    Abstract: A modular device for administering a fluid medicament fixable to the skin of a user includes a reservoir module with a reservoir defining a first axis, a first connecting structure and a first electrical contact arrangement; and a pump module with a piston rod defining a second axis, a second connecting structure arranged around the piston rod, and a second electrical contact arrangement. The first and second connecting structures are plugged together and the first axis and the second axes lie on a common axis forming a rotational axis. The pump module is rotated relative to the reservoir module about this rotational axis to electrically connect the first and second electrical contact arrangements. The first contact arrangement is displaced radially farther from the first axis than the first connecting structure, and the second electrical contact arrangement is displaced radially farther from the second axis than the second connecting structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 13, 2021
    Publication date: November 4, 2021
    Inventors: Ursina Streit, Thomas Buri, Christophe Hofer, Patrick Hostettler, Bernhard Bigler, Simon Martin Bosshard, Jürg Steck, Thomas Leuzinger, Clemens Zürcher
  • Publication number: 20210228799
    Abstract: A piercing device for an administration device includes an elastic element with which a biasing force may be generated for piercing, a base, and a cannula unit which may be movable relative to the base in a piercing direction from a safety (secured) position, where the cannula unit may be subjected to the biasing force in the piercing direction. The administration device further includes a securing element by which the cannula unit, subjected to the biasing force, may be held in the safety position and which has a thermosensitive region that may be deformable under mechanical stress when heated, and a heating element with which the thermosensitive region of the securing element may be heated, such that the thermosensitive region of the securing element may deform in response to the biasing force and, as a result, the cannula unit may move away from the safety position in the piercing direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 9, 2021
    Publication date: July 29, 2021
    Inventors: Ursina Streit, Patrick Hostettler, Christophe Hofer, Roland Margot
  • Publication number: 20210157302
    Abstract: Some implementations of the disclosure are directed to tapping input/output (I/O) data from an industrial control system (ICS) or applying the tapped I/O data to a learned model to perform predictive or prescriptive maintenance. In one implementation, a method comprises: tapping I/O data from a controller of an ICS while the controller executes first control code to control one or more devices of the ICS; transmitting the tapped I/O data over a network to a second system; and executing, via the second system, second control code comprising an original or modified version of all or a subset of the first control code of the ICS, wherein the second control code executes in response to receiving the tapped I/O data. The output of executing the second control code may be provided to a model to predict a future event involving the ICS or to prescribe maintenance of the ICS.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 26, 2019
    Publication date: May 27, 2021
    Applicant: Disney Enterprises, Inc.
    Inventors: Justin Brock, Brian Walters, Nicholas Stantzos, Christopher Hofer, Mario Scarabino, Michael Tschanz
  • Patent number: 10900898
    Abstract: A security feature has a plurality of luminescent surface elements, wherein luminescence lifetime varies between the surface elements. In order to verify the security feature, a lock-in imager is used. The security feature is illuminated with excitation light, which is intensity-modulated with a modulation frequency. The luminescent light emitted by the security feature is detected synchronously with the modulation frequency in a plurality of pixels. This is used to determine a measure of a phase shift between the excitation light and the luminescent light in different pixels. The security feature is verified taking account of the measure of the phase shift in different pixels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2021
    Assignee: CSEM Centre Suisse d'Electronique et de Microtechnique SA— Recherche et Développement
    Inventors: Jonas Reinhardt, Christoph Hofer, Stefano Cattaneo
  • Publication number: 20200316314
    Abstract: An insertion mechanism for a cannula includes a cannula housing, a displaceable cannula, at least one cannula holder, an insertion spring, a triggering element, and a safety device. The safety device, in a secured state, holds the triggering element in a blocked position against a force of the insertion spring and, in a released state, releases the triggering element such that the triggering element is movable into a release position by the force of said insertion energy store and the at least one cannula holder is able to move relative to the cannula housing, driven by the insertion energy store, so as to trigger or implement an insertion movement or insertion. To reach the released state, the safety mechanism is heatable by a heating element and softened and/or weakened with respect to its mechanical carrying or holding capacity, or severed or at least partially or completely melted.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 18, 2020
    Publication date: October 8, 2020
    Inventors: Thomas Buri, Christophe Hofer, Patrick Hostettler, Seline Staub, Jürg Steck, Ursina Streit
  • Publication number: 20200086044
    Abstract: A disposable module that can be coupled to a reusable module in order to form a pump for dispensing a medicament substance to a user in a metered manner in a coupled state, comprising a housing that encases the following components: a reservoir for receiving the substance to be dispensed; and at least one extensible cannula, which is fluidically connected to the reservoir either after being inserted or in a permanent manner. The disposable module may also comprise an electrical energy store, wherein the electrical energy necessary for the reusable module can be obtained both from the disposable module and also from a rechargeable battery in the reusable module, in order to ensure redundancy of the energy necessary for the reusable module.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 25, 2019
    Publication date: March 19, 2020
    Inventors: Ursina Streit, Seline Staub, Thomas Buri, Patrick Hostettler, Juerg Steck, Christophe Hofer, Andreas Koehli, Florian Kuehni, Marc Labudde, Thomas Leuzinger
  • Publication number: 20190226990
    Abstract: A security feature has a plurality of luminescent surface elements, wherein luminescence lifetime varies between the surface elements. In order to verify the security feature, a lock-in imager is used. The security feature is illuminated with excitation light, which is intensity-modulated with a modulation frequency. The luminescent light emitted by the security feature is detected synchronously with the modulation frequency in a plurality of pixels. This is used to determine a measure of a phase shift between the excitation light and the luminescent light in different pixels. The security feature is verified taking account of the measure of the phase shift in different pixels.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 12, 2017
    Publication date: July 25, 2019
    Inventors: Jonas Reinhardt, Christoph Hofer, Stefano Cattaneo
  • Publication number: 20140199200
    Abstract: An expander circuit for a thermal expander, having a first pump arranged between a condenser and an evaporator, is proposed, the inlet of the expander being connected to the evaporator and the outlet to the condenser, and a separate lubricating circuit connecting the expander circuit to at least one bearing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 31, 2013
    Publication date: July 17, 2014
    Applicant: MAGNA Powertrain AG & Co KG
    Inventors: Wolfgang Auinger, Christian Benatzky, Christoph Hofer