Patents by Inventor Claus Kaltner
Claus Kaltner 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).
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Patent number: 10873330Abstract: An electrode arrangement for an electric field sensor device with a transmitting electrode and at least one receiving electrode may have a nonconductive substrate having a first conductive layer and a second conductive layer. A first electrode is arranged within the first conductive layer, wherein the first electrode is a receiving electrode of the electric field sensor device, and a second electrode is arranged within the second conductive layer, wherein the second electrode is a transmitting electrode of the electric field sensor device wherein the second electrode covers a larger area than the first electrode and wherein the second electrode is textured to reduce the capacitance between the first and second electrode.Type: GrantFiled: July 13, 2016Date of Patent: December 22, 2020Assignee: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY GERMANY GMBH II & CO. KGInventors: Roland Aubauer, Claus Kaltner
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Patent number: 10352976Abstract: An electrode arrangement has a transmitting electrode configured to generate a quasi-static alternating electric field which extends into an observation area, a first electrode extending in a first direction and configured to be connected to an evaluation device as a receiving electrode, and a second electrode extending in a second direction different from the first direction wherein for evaluating disturbances of the quasi-static alternating electric field an enhanced sensitivity profile is obtained by combining the first and second electrode.Type: GrantFiled: March 5, 2014Date of Patent: July 16, 2019Assignee: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INCORPORATEDInventors: Roland Aubauer, Claus Kaltner, Lucian Rosca
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Patent number: 10345985Abstract: An input device has one or more electrodes configured for capacitive sensing, an electronic circuit, one or more conductive feed line(s) connecting the one or more electrode(s) with the electronic circuit, wherein the device is configured to increase or decrease a signal received from at least one of the electrodes through an associated feed line in function of at least one other signal from another electrode.Type: GrantFiled: June 5, 2017Date of Patent: July 9, 2019Assignee: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INCORPORATEDInventors: Lionel Portmann, Axel Heim, Andreas Dorfner, Claus Kaltner
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Patent number: 10198100Abstract: An electrode device for a capacitive sensor device and a circuit arrangement for a capacitive sensor device for the operation of an electrode device are provided, wherein the electrode device has a first electrode structure with at least one transmitting electrode and at least one receiving electrode, and a second electrode structure with at least one field sensing electrode, wherein the electrode device or the capacitive sensor device can be operated in a first operation mode and in a second operation mode. In addition a method is provided for approach and/or touch detection with a sensor device.Type: GrantFiled: October 16, 2015Date of Patent: February 5, 2019Assignee: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY GERMANY GMBHInventors: Claus Kaltner, Reinhard Unterreitmayer, Holger Steffens
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Patent number: 10001540Abstract: Provided is a method for adapting the sensitivity of a sensor system, in particular of a capacitive sensor system, which provides a sensor signal, wherein a first lower threshold value is adapted, if the sensor signal fulfills a first switching threshold criterion, a first upper threshold value is adapted, if the sensor signal fulfills a second switching threshold criterion, and at least one switching threshold value is adapted such that the switching threshold value has a predetermined first distance from the first upper threshold value and/or a predetermined second distance from the first lower threshold value.Type: GrantFiled: October 10, 2012Date of Patent: June 19, 2018Assignee: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY GERMANY GMBHInventors: Holger Erkens, Claus Kaltner, Holger Steffens
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Patent number: 9954524Abstract: A capacitive sensor device for approach and/or contact detection can be coupled with an electric circuit (10) and has a sensor electronics (20) and a device for potential separation (30), which with the sensor electronics (20) is coupled and by which the capacitive sensor device can be coupled with the electric circuit (10). In a method for operating a capacitive sensor device which has a sensor electronics, the sensor electronics can be coupled with an electric circuit and the sensor electronics is coupled with the electric circuit in a separable way with respect to the potential.Type: GrantFiled: January 12, 2012Date of Patent: April 24, 2018Assignee: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY GERMANY GMBHInventor: Claus Kaltner
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Publication number: 20170269741Abstract: An input device has one or more electrodes configured for capacitive sensing, an electronic circuit, one or more conductive feed line(s) connecting the one or more electrode(s) with the electronic circuit, wherein the device is configured to increase or decrease a signal received from at least one of the electrodes through an associated feed line in function of at least one other signal from another electrode.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 5, 2017Publication date: September 21, 2017Applicant: Microchip Technology IncorporatedInventors: Lionel Portmann, Axel Heim, Andreas Dorfner, Claus Kaltner
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Patent number: 9671920Abstract: An input device has one or more electrodes configured for capacitive sensing, an electronic circuit, one or more conductive feed line(s) connecting the one or more electrode(s) with the electronic circuit, wherein the device is configured to increase or decrease a signal received from at least one of the electrodes through an associated feed line in function of at least one other signal from another electrode.Type: GrantFiled: June 25, 2015Date of Patent: June 6, 2017Assignee: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INCORPORATEDInventors: Lionel Portmann, Axel Heim, Andreas Dorfner, Claus Kaltner
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Patent number: 9552068Abstract: A gesture detection system according to embodiments includes an input device including a touch sensitive surface and a contact-free detection system; and a controller configured to determine characteristic parameters for the position in three-dimensional space of a user input object and select an operational mode of the input device based on the position of the user input object.Type: GrantFiled: August 26, 2013Date of Patent: January 24, 2017Assignee: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY GERMANY GMBHInventors: Roland Aubauer, Johannes Matokic, Claus Kaltner
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Publication number: 20160322971Abstract: An electrode arrangement for an electric field sensor device with a transmitting electrode and at least one receiving electrode may have a nonconductive substrate having a first conductive layer and a second conductive layer. A first electrode is arranged within the first conductive layer, wherein the first electrode is a receiving electrode of the electric field sensor device, and a second electrode is arranged within the second conductive layer, wherein the second electrode is a transmitting electrode of the electric field sensor device wherein the second electrode covers a larger area than the first electrode and wherein the second electrode is textured to reduce the capacitance between the first and second electrode.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 13, 2016Publication date: November 3, 2016Applicant: Microchip Technology Germany GmbH II & CO. KGInventors: Roland Aubauer, Claus Kaltner
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Patent number: 9459296Abstract: An electrode arrangement for an electric field sensor device with a transmitting electrode and at least one receiving electrode may have a nonconductive substrate having a first conductive layer and a second conductive layer. A first electrode is arranged within the first conductive layer, wherein the first electrode is a receiving electrode of the electric field sensor device, and a second electrode is arranged within the second conductive layer, wherein the second electrode is a transmitting electrode of the electric field sensor device wherein the second electrode covers a larger area than the first electrode and wherein the second electrode is textured to reduce the capacitance between the first and second electrode.Type: GrantFiled: October 17, 2013Date of Patent: October 4, 2016Assignee: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY GERMANY GMBH II & CO. KGInventors: Roland Aubauer, Claus Kaltner
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Patent number: 9322861Abstract: A method for the detection of a gripping of a hand-held device with one hand, using a capacitive sensor device, uses at least one transmitting electrode, at least one compensating electrode and at least one receiving electrode. An electrical signal is tapped at the receiving electrode and the sensor device can be operated in a first operating mode and in a second operating mode. In the first operating mode, a first alternating electrical signal is applied to the transmitting electrode and a second alternating electrical signal is applied to the compensating electrode. In the second operating mode, the second alternating signal is only applied to the compensating electrode. Furthermore, a sensor device can be provided which is configured to perform the method as described above.Type: GrantFiled: November 7, 2011Date of Patent: April 26, 2016Assignee: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY GERMANY GMBHInventors: Stefan Burger, Andreas Dorfner, Holger Erkens, Claus Kaltner, Holger Steffens
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Publication number: 20160041639Abstract: An electrode device for a capacitive sensor device and a circuit arrangement for a capacitive sensor device for the operation of an electrode device are provided, wherein the electrode device has a first electrode structure with at least one transmitting electrode and at least one receiving electrode, and a second electrode structure with at least one field sensing electrode, wherein the electrode device or the capacitive sensor device can be operated in a first operation mode and in a second operation mode. In addition a method is provided for approach and/or touch detection with a sensor device.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 16, 2015Publication date: February 11, 2016Applicant: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY GERMANY GMBHInventors: Claus Kaltner, Reinhard Unterreitmayer, Holger Steffens
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Patent number: 9236860Abstract: An electrical hand-held device is provided with improved proximity detection, which can be placed on a surface and has at least one transmission electrode, at least one reception electrode and at least one compensation electrode arranged between transmission electrode and reception electrode. The transmission electrode and the compensation electrode can be supplied with an electric switching signal of predetermined signal frequency and predetermined signal amplitude. Switching electric signal at the compensation electrode is phase-delayed with respect to the switching electric signal at the transmission electrode. Alternating electric fields radiated at the transmission electrode and the compensation electrode generate a current in the reception electrode, which is representative of an approach of a hand to the hand-held device.Type: GrantFiled: April 7, 2010Date of Patent: January 12, 2016Assignee: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY GERMANY GMBHInventors: Reinhard Unterreitmayer, Claus Kaltner, Holger Steffens, Stefan Donat
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Publication number: 20150378482Abstract: An input device has one or more electrodes configured for capacitive sensing, an electronic circuit, one or more conductive feed line(s) connecting the one or more electrode(s) with the electronic circuit, wherein the device is configured to increase or decrease a signal received from at least one of the electrodes through an associated feed line in function of at least one other signal from another electrode.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 25, 2015Publication date: December 31, 2015Applicant: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INCORPORATEDInventors: Lionel Portmann, Axel Heim, Andreas Dorfner, Claus Kaltner
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Patent number: 9166581Abstract: An electrode device for a capacitive sensor device and a circuit arrangement for a capacitive sensor device for the operation of an electrode device are provided, wherein the electrode device has a first electrode structure with at least one transmitting electrode and at least one receiving electrode, and a second electrode structure with at least one field sensing electrode, wherein the electrode device or the capacitive sensor device can be operated in a first operation mode and in a second operation mode. In addition a method is provided for approach and/or touch detection with a sensor device.Type: GrantFiled: March 24, 2011Date of Patent: October 20, 2015Assignee: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY GERMANY GMBHInventors: Claus Kaltner, Reinhard Unterreitmayer, Holger Steffens
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Publication number: 20150288361Abstract: A capacitive sensor device for approach and/or contact detection can be coupled with an electric circuit (10) and has a sensor electronics (20) and a device for potential separation (30), which with the sensor electronics (20) is coupled and by which the capacitive sensor device can be coupled with the electric circuit (10). In a method for operating a capacitive sensor device which has a sensor electronics, the sensor electronics can be coupled with an electric circuit and the sensor electronics is coupled with the electric circuit in a separable way with respect to the potential.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 12, 2012Publication date: October 8, 2015Inventor: Claus Kaltner
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Patent number: 9124274Abstract: A device for an electric hand-held device for detecting the hand-held device being clasped by a hand, has at least one transmitting electrode, which can emit an alternating electric field, and at least one receiving electrode, in which the alternating electric field can be coupled at least partially, wherein the at least one transmitting electrode and the at least one receiving electrode can be arranged on the hand-held device such that each of them is at least partially covered by the hand when the hand-held device is being clasped by the hand. When the hand-held device is being clasped by the hand, a first portion of the alternating electric field emitted by the transmitting electrode can be coupled via the hand into the receiving electrode, wherein at least the first portion of the alternating electric field is a characteristic representative of the hand-held device being clasped by the hand.Type: GrantFiled: December 13, 2010Date of Patent: September 1, 2015Assignee: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY GERMANY GMBH II & CO. KGInventors: Claus Kaltner, Reinhard Unterreitmayer
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Publication number: 20150130478Abstract: Provided is a method for adapting the sensitivity of a sensor system, in particular of a capacitive sensor system, which provides a sensor signal, wherein a first lower threshold value is adapted, if the sensor signal fulfills a first switching threshold criterion, a first upper threshold value is adapted, if the sensor signal fulfills a second switching threshold criterion, and at least one switching threshold value is adapted such that the switching threshold value has a predetermined first distance from the first upper threshold value and/or a predetermined second distance from the first lower threshold value.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 10, 2012Publication date: May 14, 2015Inventors: Holger Erkens, Claus Kaltner, Holger Steffens
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Patent number: 8933705Abstract: An electronic circuit with a plurality of connections for a plurality of sensor elements is provided, wherein the electronic circuit is configured to detect, with at least one multiplexing method, the presence of an object in at least one observation area of the sensor elements and to distinguish between the sensor elements. Also a method for determining the position of at least one object situated in at least one observation area of sensor elements relative to the sensor elements is provided, whereby with a multiplexing method an electric variable for each sensor element is detected, which is indicative for the presence of the object in the respective observation area.Type: GrantFiled: November 11, 2010Date of Patent: January 13, 2015Assignee: Microchip Technology Germany GmbH II & Co. KGInventors: Claus Kaltner, Holger Steffens