Patents by Inventor Dieter W. Blum

Dieter W. Blum 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: 20130024135
    Abstract: An opposing field sensing element for ferromagnetic cable inspection is disclosed that uses magnetic flux sources and a magnetic flux sensor to detect anomalies in ferromagnetic cables. An array of opposing field sensing elements may be used to non-invasively inspect systems that contain ferromagnetic cables such as conveyer belts and the like. The opposing field sensing element is small and compact, and immune to vertical axis flutter and disturbances of the ferromagnetic cable being inspected. In addition, the opposing field sensing element does not magnetize the ferromagnetic cable being inspected such that interference with other sensing and control systems is minimized.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 19, 2012
    Publication date: January 24, 2013
    Inventor: Dieter W. Blum
  • Patent number: 6944212
    Abstract: A base band modulation system. There is a microcontroller which receives and manipulates a digital data stream to provide for addition of miscellaneous flag data. There is a continuously variable slope delta demodulator (CVSD) to receive the manipulated data stream and convert this to an analog signal. There is also a second microprocessor to receive the same.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2005
    Inventor: Dieter W. Blum
  • Patent number: 6762680
    Abstract: An electromagnetic intrusion detection system which has a transmitter that produces a radio frequency output which is received by an antenna which receives the output and radiates an electromagnetic field into the surrounding space. This in turn responds to the presence of an object or an environmental condition causing absorption and/or reflection. A monitoring apparatus monitors power consumption and thus provides a signal output relating to the environmental condition and/or intrusion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2004
    Inventor: Dieter W. Blum
  • Publication number: 20020070694
    Abstract: The dynamo-electric machine comprising a field member creating a flux field extending between magnetic pole portions. There is an armature assembly rotated in the machine comprising a core and a plurality of induction coils. There are switches mounted in the armature assembly so as to be rotatable therewith, and the switches are arranged to cause the current to flow selectively through the coils. By properly controlling the switches to control direction and timing of the current, the current flow in the coils can be optimized to accomplish desired power transfer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2001
    Publication date: June 13, 2002
    Inventor: Dieter W. Blum
  • Publication number: 20020044596
    Abstract: A base band modulation system. There is a microcontroller which receives and manipulates a digital data stream to provide for addition of miscellaneous flag data. There is a continuously variable slope delta demodulator (CVSD) to receive the manipulated data stream and convert this to an analog signal. There is also a second microprocessor to receive the same.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 1, 2000
    Publication date: April 18, 2002
    Inventor: Dieter W. Blum
  • Publication number: 20010028307
    Abstract: An electromagnetic intrusion detection system which has a transmitter that produces a radio frequency output which is received by an antenna which receives the output and radiates an electromagnetic field into the surrounding space. This in turn responds to the presence of an object or an environmental condition causing absorption and/or reflection. A monitoring apparatus monitors power consumption and thus provides a signal output relating to the environmental condition and/or intrusion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 1, 2000
    Publication date: October 11, 2001
    Inventor: Dieter W. Blum
  • Patent number: 6262698
    Abstract: A matrix display sign and system where the displayed image or message can readily be changed. There is an array of pixel units arranged in rows and columns, and each of these pixel units can be selectively activated to display various selected colors. In a preferred embodiment, each pixel unit is capable of displaying any of a blue, green, red, white or black color. Each pixel unit has an elongate strip member having pixel sections, each having a different color characteristic. The pixel strip is moved in increments so that various pixel sections can be moved into a display region where either reflective light or transflective light illuminates the pixel section. A solenoid driver is activated to move in stepped increments to move the pixel strip to selected positions at the display region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2001
    Inventor: Dieter W. Blum
  • Patent number: 6222331
    Abstract: A dynamo-electric machine which can function as a motor or a generator. The machine comprising a stator and an armature, and switching of the armature coils is accomplished by means of a switching control assembly which is mounted to, and rotates with, the armature. In operation as a motor, direct current is supplied through brushes to slip rings that rotate with the armature, and the DC current supplied is first passed through switch means in the control assembly to deliver the current in properly timed relationship with respect to the rotation of the rotor. This provides greater versatility in the operation of the motor/generator and eliminates many of the problems related to the use of conventional brush commutation commonly used in present day DC motors and generators.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2001
    Assignee: Global Electric Motor Co. Ltd.
    Inventor: Dieter W. Blum
  • Patent number: 5847563
    Abstract: An apparatus to detect anomalies in a member, such as a conveyor belt, having reinforcing cables therein made of a magnetically permeable material. There is coil means arranged to create a magnetic field as two longitudinally spaced first and second field components at longitudinally spaced locations. There are Hall effect sensors arranged to respond to modifications in each of the first and second field components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 1995
    Date of Patent: December 8, 1998
    Assignee: Canada Conveyor Belt Co. Ltd.
    Inventor: Dieter W. Blum
  • Patent number: 5570017
    Abstract: An apparatus to detect anomalies in a member, such as a conveyor belt, having reinforcing cables therein made of a magnetically permeable material. There is coil means arranged to create a magnetic field as two longitudinally spaced first and second field components at longitudinally spaced locations. There are Hall effect sensors arranged to respond to modifications in each of the first and second field components. In a first embodiment, there is one set of sensors positioned between the first and second field components. In a second embodiment, there are two sets of sensors spaced at said first and second field components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 1992
    Date of Patent: October 29, 1996
    Assignee: Canada Conveyor Belt Co., Inc.
    Inventor: Dieter W. Blum
  • Patent number: 5151788
    Abstract: In a content control system for identifying and eliminating commercials from a recording or presentation of a video signal there is shown a content control unit, a VCR and a TV.The content control unit has an identification and a communication section. The identification section includes a blank frame detector, an activity detector and a timer for detecting the commercials. The communication section communicates by infra-red signals to control the functioning of the VCR and TV. The blank frame detector has a black level extractor being compensated for by a peak level extractor, and a frame luminance level extractor. A blank frame comparator compares the levels of the compensated black level and the frame luminance level. The activity detector determines the rate of change of frame luminance after the blank frame has been detected and the timer is set. The activity timer has an integrator and a differentiator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 1989
    Date of Patent: September 29, 1992
    Inventor: Dieter W. Blum
  • Patent number: 5008940
    Abstract: The methods and apparatus disclose a signal processing system acquiring the half-period and magnitude of the highest frequency component at any one time of an analog signal. Two comparators compare positive and negative going slopes of the signal to respective out of phase versions of themselves. Maxima and minima are detected by the respective comparators to set and reset two timers. The timers time the lengths of the positive and negative going slopes between the maxima and minima. An analog to digital converter converts the magnitude of the signal at the maxima and minima. A microprocessor stores the times and magnitudes in a memory and is in a second embodiment adapted to determine the individual frequency components of the signal from the stored values. The acquired values may be transmitted in digital form or may be reconstructed for analog transmission.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 1989
    Date of Patent: April 16, 1991
    Assignee: Integrated Circuit Technologies Ltd.
    Inventor: Dieter W. Blum
  • Patent number: 4914144
    Abstract: A flameproof, halogen-free thermoplastic molding material contains, based on the molding material consisting of A, B, C, D and E,(A) 40 to 95% by weight of a thermoplastic halogen-free aromatic polycarbonate based on a diphenol,(B) from 5 to 30% by weight of one or more halogen-free graft polymers obtained from, based on B,(b.sub.1) an elastomer (rubber), which accounts for from 40 to 80% by weight, and(b.sub.2) a graft shell on this elastomer which accounts for from 20 to 60% by weight,(C) from 5 to 50% by weight of one or more halogen-free thermoplastic copolymers consisting of, based on C, from 50 to 95% by weight of styrene, .alpha.-methylstyrene, styrene which is substituted in the nucleus, methyl methacrylate or a mixture of these, and from 50 to 5% by weight of (meth)acrylonitrile, methyl methacrylate, maleic anhydride, N-substituted maleimide or a mixture of these,(D) 1 to 25% by weight of one or more halogen-free phosphorus compounds of the formula ##STR1## where R.sup.1, R.sup.2 and R.sup.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 1988
    Date of Patent: April 3, 1990
    Assignee: BASF Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Klaus Muehlbach, Graham E. McKee, Hermann Brandi, Dieter W. Blum
  • Patent number: 4723376
    Abstract: Apparatus for the positional control of the edge grinding of an ophthalmic lens to a desired peripheral shape is effected by a control computer which processes and stores data representative of a pattern which delineates the peripheral shape of the lens. The data is derived by rotating a linear image sensor about an axis passing through a support for a pattern which delineates the required shape. The sensor generates pixel data which is processed and stored by the control computer for use for selective control of a lens periphery grinder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 1986
    Date of Patent: February 9, 1988
    Assignee: Innovative Research Inc.
    Inventors: Dieter W. Blum, Andrew S. Duncan