Patents by Inventor Daniel Schütz

Daniel Schütz 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: 11945580
    Abstract: Cleaning vehicle sensors, wherein position data of a vehicle are received (1). An unmanned aircraft suitable for cleaning vehicle sensors flies to the vehicle on the basis of the received position data of the vehicle, positions itself, on the basis of location data of a sensor of the vehicle that is to be cleaned, near the vehicle in such a way that the sensor to be cleaned can be cleaned, and cleans the sensor. The vehicle can transmit the position data of the vehicle to a Service Station via a mobile data connection, wherein the Service Station causes the unmanned aircraft to fly to the vehicle and, after the end of the cleaning operation, to return to the Service Station.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Inventors: Daniel Schütz, Stephan Herold, Kristin Fondahl, Micha Helbig
  • Publication number: 20230365184
    Abstract: An input module, able to be retrofitted in a vehicle, for controlling a vehicle, having a haptic input element, at least one sensor, at least one electronic circuit that is able to determine a sensor signal, at least one force feedback element, and a housing having at least one electrical interface. The sensor, the electronic circuit and the force feedback element are accommodated completely in the housing and the input element is accommodated partially in the housing. The force feedback is calculated in the electronic circuit and is able to be adjusted dynamically and adapted to a specific the driver. The invention also relates to a modular control system having the input module cited above, a data bus and at least one central distributor module.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 7, 2021
    Publication date: November 16, 2023
    Inventors: Daniel Schütz, Simon Schnider, Marc von Kaenel
  • Publication number: 20220234549
    Abstract: A service station for vehicles of an autonomous vehicle fleet. The service station includes at least one service module that is designed to identify the dirtiness of at least one vehicle component of the vehicle. The service module also includes at least one mobile robot and/or a robot arm on which a tool is arranged for identifying dirtiness. The tool includes at least one optical sensor and preferably at least one light source and/or at least one vapor emitter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 8, 2020
    Publication date: July 28, 2022
    Inventors: Daniel Schütz, Maik Otremba, Stephan Herold, Juan Mauricio Toro Ramos, Kristoph Toppel
  • Patent number: 11360490
    Abstract: A parking robot system for a transportation vehicle having wheels and a method for operating a parking robot system. The parking robot system includes a main robot and secondary robots and a method for operating a parking robot system. The secondary robots each have a pair of wheel support arms and each move up autonomously, with the wheel support arms folded in, from outside next to one of the wheels of the transportation vehicle. The secondary robots each lift up the respective wheel by folding out the respective pair of wheel support arms. The main robot accompanies the secondary robot with the lifted up transportation vehicle during travel to a prescribed target position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Inventors: Daniel Schütz, Thomas Form
  • Patent number: 11318853
    Abstract: The invention relates to an arrangement for connecting a charging plug to a charging interface of a vehicle, with a moving apparatus with a plurality of controllable movement axes; a tool which can be positioned by means of the moving apparatus relative to the vehicle and is configured to hold the charging plug, the tool having a centering device for centering the charging plug within the tool and a controllable tool movement axis for moving the charging plug independently of the movement axes of the moving apparatus; wherein the tool with the charging plug centered therein can be positioned in a predetermined relative position with regard to the charging interface by means of the moving apparatus and the charging plug can subsequently be connected with the charging interface by using the tool movement axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignees: VOLKSWAGEN AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT, KUKA DEUTSCHLAND GMBH
    Inventors: Daniel Schütz, Norbert Settele
  • Patent number: 11312415
    Abstract: A parking robot for a transportation vehicle having at least two wheel axles and a method for operating a parking robot. The parking robot includes a main robot part and a secondary robot part which each have a pair of wheel support arms on two opposite sides. The two-part parking robot then moves under the transportation vehicle with respective folded-in wheel support arms and disconnects the secondary robot part from the main robot part to position the main robot part and the secondary robot part each in a region of one of the wheel axles beneath the transportation vehicle and to lift up respective wheels of the respective wheel axle of the transportation vehicle by folding out the respective pairs of wheel support arms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Inventors: Theodoros Tzivanopoulos, Stephan Herold, Juan Mauricio Toro Ramos, Daniel Schütz
  • Patent number: 11220190
    Abstract: A mobile charging station for the electric charging of electric transportation vehicles having at least one battery unit, at least one charging interface for charging the battery unit, at least one second interface for charging an electric transportation vehicle from the battery unit, a method or mechanism for automated navigation of the mobile charging station and a method or mechanism for receiving a charging request. A method for charging an electric transportation vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2022
    Inventors: Daniel Schütz, Stephan Herold, Norbert Settele
  • Patent number: 11020856
    Abstract: A transportation vehicle having a data interface for transmitting data to a robot, wherein the transportation vehicle includes a controller that produces control signals for controlling the robot for a specified working task and transmits the control signals to the robot via the data interface. Also disclosed is a method for controlling a robot by a transportation vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Inventors: Stephan Herold, Daniel Schütz
  • Publication number: 20210053678
    Abstract: Cleaning vehicle sensors, wherein position data of a vehicle are received (1). An unmanned aircraft suitable for cleaning vehicle sensors flies to the vehicle on the basis of the received position data of the vehicle, positions itself, on the basis of location data of a sensor of the vehicle that is to be cleaned, near the vehicle in such a way that the sensor to be cleaned can be cleaned, and cleans the sensor. The vehicle can transmit the position data of the vehicle to a Service Station via a mobile data connection, wherein the Service Station causes the unmanned aircraft to fly to the vehicle and, after the end of the cleaning operation, to return to the Service Station.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 23, 2019
    Publication date: February 25, 2021
    Inventors: Daniel Schütz, Stephan Herold, Kristin Fondahl, Micha Helbig
  • Publication number: 20210008991
    Abstract: The invention relates to an arrangement for connecting a charging plug to a charging interface of a vehicle, with a moving apparatus with a plurality of controllable movement axes; a tool which can be positioned by means of the moving apparatus relative to the vehicle and is configured to hold the charging plug, the tool having a centering device for centering the charging plug within the tool and a controllable tool movement axis for moving the charging plug independently of the movement axes of the moving apparatus; wherein the tool with the charging plug centered therein can be positioned in a predetermined relative position with regard to the charging interface by means of the moving apparatus and the charging plug can subsequently be connected with the charging interface by using the tool movement axis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 7, 2020
    Publication date: January 14, 2021
    Applicants: Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft, KUKA Deutschland GmbH
    Inventors: Daniel Schütz, Norbert Settele
  • Publication number: 20200406470
    Abstract: A gripper device for an object and a changing robot having such a gripper device. The gripper device includes a housing having an inner contour that is a negative contour adapted at least partly to the contour of an object. Also disclosed is a charge plug for a transportation vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2019
    Publication date: December 31, 2020
    Inventors: Stephan HEROLD, Daniel SCHÜTZ, Kristin FONDAHL, Annika RAATZ, Serhat IBRAHIM, Julius IBENTHAL, Felix BARTLING
  • Publication number: 20200361329
    Abstract: A mobile charging station for the electric charging of electric transportation vehicles having at least one battery unit, at least one charging interface for charging the battery unit, at least one second interface for charging an electric transportation vehicle from the battery unit, a method or mechanism for automated navigation of the mobile charging station and a method or mechanism for receiving a charging request. A method for charging an electric transportation vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 5, 2018
    Publication date: November 19, 2020
    Inventors: Daniel SCHÜTZ, Stephan HEROLD, Norbert SETTELE
  • Patent number: 10710459
    Abstract: A method for supplying power from at least one power supply unit to transportation vehicles requiring a power supply, in which a position of a transportation vehicle-side power supply interface of a transportation vehicle requiring power is determined for each transportation vehicle and the transportation vehicle-side power supply interface is automatically coupled to a power supply interface of the power supply unit by the power supply interface of the power supply unit being moved by a robot to the transportation vehicle-side power supply interface and coupled thereto. A robot is responsible for coupling transportation vehicles to a suitable power supply interface of the power supply unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2020
    Assignees: VOLKSWAGEN AG, KUKA DEUTSCHLAND
    Inventors: Daniel Schütz, Michael Grote, Jürgen Stieg, Lutz Junge, Sven Horstmann, Thorsten Bagdonat, Sebastian Grysczyk, Andreas Weiser, Norbert Settele
  • Publication number: 20200183421
    Abstract: A parking robot system for a transportation vehicle having wheels and a method for operating a parking robot system. The parking robot system includes a main robot and secondary robots and a method for operating a parking robot system. The secondary robots each have a pair of wheel support arms and each move up autonomously, with the wheel support arms folded in, from outside next to one of the wheels of the transportation vehicle. The secondary robots each lift up the respective wheel by folding out the respective pair of wheel support arms. The main robot accompanies the secondary robot with the lifted up transportation vehicle during travel to a prescribed target position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 25, 2019
    Publication date: June 11, 2020
    Inventors: Daniel SCHÜTZ, Thomas FORM
  • Publication number: 20200180696
    Abstract: A parking robot for a transportation vehicle having at least two wheel axles and a method for operating a parking robot. The parking robot includes a main robot part and a secondary robot part which each have a pair of wheel support arms on two opposite sides. The two-part parking robot then moves under the transportation vehicle with respective folded-in wheel support arms and disconnects the secondary robot part from the main robot part to position the main robot part and the secondary robot part each in a region of one of the wheel axles beneath the transportation vehicle and to lift up respective wheels of the respective wheel axle of the transportation vehicle by folding out the respective pairs of wheel support arms.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 4, 2019
    Publication date: June 11, 2020
    Inventors: Theodoros TZIVANOPOULOS, Stephan HEROLD, Juan Mauricio Toro RAMOS, Daniel SCHÜTZ
  • Patent number: 10651488
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a body structure element for increasing the stiffness and/or the crash performance of a body structure of a vehicle, comprising a first channel for a first gas flow with a first gas feed line and a first gas discharge line and comprising means for introducing moisture into the first gas stream. The disclosure relates, in other words, to the functional integration of a humidifier for a fuel cell system into a body structure element and preferably the functional integration of a humidifier for a fuel cell system into crash performance increasing element, in particular, an extrusion profile, and a body structural element. The disclosure also relates to a fuel cell system with a humidifier integrated into a body structure element and a vehicle with such a fuel cell system and/or such a body structure element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2020
    Assignees: VOLKSWAGEN AG, AUDI AG
    Inventors: Frank Minter, Daniel Schütz, Jürgen Stieg
  • Publication number: 20190030720
    Abstract: A transportation vehicle having a data interface for transmitting data to a robot, wherein the transportation vehicle includes a controller that produces control signals for controlling the robot for a specified working task and transmits the control signals to the robot via the data interface. Also disclosed is a method for controlling a robot by a transportation vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 17, 2018
    Publication date: January 31, 2019
    Inventors: Stephan HEROLD, Daniel SCHÜTZ
  • Publication number: 20190001832
    Abstract: A method for supplying power from at least one power supply unit to transportation vehicles requiring a power supply, in which a position of a transportation vehicle-side power supply interface of a transportation vehicle requiring power is determined for each transportation vehicle and the transportation vehicle-side power supply interface is automatically coupled to a power supply interface of the power supply unit by the power supply interface of the power supply unit being moved by a robot to the transportation vehicle-side power supply interface and coupled thereto. A robot is responsible for coupling transportation vehicles to a suitable power supply interface of the power supply unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2016
    Publication date: January 3, 2019
    Inventors: Daniel SCHÜTZ, Michael GROTE, Jürgen STIEG, Lutz JUNGE, Sven HORSTMANN, Thorsten BAGDONAT, Sebastian GRYSCZYK, Andreas WEISER, Norbert SETTELE
  • Publication number: 20190001831
    Abstract: A method for supplying power from at least one power supply unit to transportation vehicles requiring a power supply, in which a position of a transportation vehicle-side power supply interface of a transportation vehicle requiring power is determined for each vehicle and the transportation vehicle-side power supply interface is automatically coupled to a power supply interface of the power supply unit by the power supply interface of the power supply unit being moved by a robot to the transportation vehicle-side power supply interface and coupled thereto. A robot is responsible for coupling transportation vehicles to a suitable power supply interface of the power supply unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2016
    Publication date: January 3, 2019
    Inventors: Daniel SCHÜTZ, Michael GROTE, Jürgen STIEG, Lutz JUNGE, Sven HORSTMANN, Thorsten BAGDONAT, Sebastian GRYSCZYK, Andreas WEISER, Norbert SETTELE
  • Publication number: 20170263957
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a body structure element for increasing the stiffness and/or the crash performance of a body structure of a vehicle, comprising a first channel for a first gas flow with a first gas feed line and a first gas discharge line and comprising means for introducing moisture into the first gas stream. The disclosure relates, in other words, to the functional integration of a humidifier for a fuel cell system into a body structure element and preferably the functional integration of a humidifier for a fuel cell system into crash performance increasing element, in particular, an extrusion profile, and a body structural element. The disclosure also relates to a fuel cell system with a humidifier integrated into a body structure element and a vehicle with such a fuel cell system and/or such a body structure element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2017
    Publication date: September 14, 2017
    Inventors: Frank MINTER, Daniel SCHÜTZ, Jürgen STIEG