Patents by Inventor Elmar Mayer

Elmar Mayer 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: 20110261422
    Abstract: A position measuring device including a code having a sequence of code elements of equal width B that is disposed in a measurement direction and includes a first property and a second property. The sequence of codes elements includes a first set of code elements having the first property and a second set of code elements having the second property, wherein the first and second sets of code elements are each being disposed aperiodically. The position measuring device further including a scanning unit having a plurality of detectors for scanning the code and obtaining scanning signals, wherein a code word defining an absolute position is defined from the scanning signals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 24, 2009
    Publication date: October 27, 2011
    Inventors: Jan Braasch, Wolfgang Holzapfel, Ulrich Benner, Gabriele Ehgartner, Robert Bernhard, Elmar Mayer, Martin Seichter
  • Publication number: 20110258358
    Abstract: In a device and a method for the automated detection of an interface between a position-measuring device and sequential electronics that are interconnected via a data-transmission channel, the position-measuring device includes an interface unit and a position-measuring unit. The interface unit is connected first of all to the data-transmission channel, and secondly to the position-measuring unit for the purpose of an internal data exchange. The interface to the sequential electronics is selectable in the interface unit from at least two interfaces.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 3, 2009
    Publication date: October 20, 2011
    Applicant: Dr. Johannes Heidenhain GmbH
    Inventors: Elmar Mayer, Alexander Kobler
  • Publication number: 20110196648
    Abstract: A multiturn rotary encoder includes a singleturn code disk which is joined in rotatably fixed manner to a shaft and which has a code track that is scannable by a singleturn scanning unit to ascertain the absolute position within one revolution of the shaft, a multiturn unit for measuring revolution data which are suitable for ascertaining the number of revolutions performed by the shaft, and an evaluation unit which is connected to the multiturn unit via at least two digital interfaces for transmitting the revolution data. The revolution data include at least two data words which have a different rate of change during rotation of the shaft, the interface for transmitting the data word having the highest rate of change to the evaluation unit is a parallel interface, and the interface for transmitting the data word having the lowest rate of change to the evaluation unit is a serial interface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2009
    Publication date: August 11, 2011
    Inventors: Elmar Mayer, Thomas Schuermann, Michael Walter
  • Publication number: 20110063145
    Abstract: A multiturn rotary encoder includes: a single-turn unit, including a code carrier and a single-turn evaluation unit for processing single-turn position signals to form a single-turn code word; a first multiturn unit, including at least one first multiturn code carrier and a first multiturn evaluation unit for processing first multiturn position signals to form a first multiturn code word that indicates the number of revolutions covered by input shaft; and a second multiturn unit, including at least one second multiturn code carrier and a second multiturn evaluation unit for processing second multiturn position signals to form a second multiturn code word that likewise indicates the number of revolutions covered by the input shaft. The functioning of the multiturn units is ascertainable by the multiturn code words generated independently of each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 30, 2010
    Publication date: March 17, 2011
    Inventors: Elmar Mayer, Erich Strasser, Hermann Hofbauer
  • Patent number: 7847704
    Abstract: A method for transmitting signals from a position measuring arrangement to an evaluation unit, the method including transmitting position signals, reference pulses, and warning signals indicating a malfunction state from a position measuring arrangement for determining the position of two elements of a machine which are movable relative to each other, to an evaluation unit. The method further includes logically interconnecting the reference pulses with the position signals in such a way that, in a malfunction-free state, a valid status combination for outputting the reference pulses and an invalid status combination for outputting the reference pulses appear in each period. The method including transmitting warning signals indicating a malfunction state during the invalid status combination of the position signals and the reference pulses which, in the malfunction-free state, is invalid for outputting the reference pulses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2010
    Assignee: Dr. Johannes Heidenhain GmbH
    Inventors: Johannes Wagner, Elmar Mayer
  • Patent number: 7835014
    Abstract: A method for absolute position measuring that includes scanning a code having code elements arranged one behind the other in a measuring direction, wherein the code elements include sequential first and second code elements which define a code word containing absolute position information. The method including generating scanning signals within the first code elements and the second code elements. The method further including forming information regarding the sequential first and second code elements from the scanning signals via a reference value and determining the reference value as a function of at least one of the scanning signals within the first code elements and the scanning signals within the second code elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2010
    Assignee: Dr. Johannes Heidenhain GmbH
    Inventors: Elmar Mayer, Johann Oberhauser
  • Patent number: 7787970
    Abstract: A position-measuring device having integrated function testing includes a position-recording unit, a processing unit, and a control-word generator. In a positional-data request, a positional-data word is first generated in the position-recording unit and output to the processing unit. There, the position data word is processed into a position value. Subsequently, a control-data word is generated in the position-recording unit according to the specification of the control-word generator and output to the processing unit. The processing unit processes the control-data word into a control value which has a defined mathematical relationship to the position value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2010
    Assignee: Dr. Johannes Heidenhain GmbH
    Inventors: Erich Strasser, Elmar Mayer
  • Patent number: 7719075
    Abstract: A scanning head for an optical position-measuring system includes a receiver grating, formed of photosensitive areas, for the scanning of locally intensity-modulated light of differing wavelengths. The receiver grating is formed from a semiconductor layer stack of a doped p-layer, an intrinsic i-layer and a doped n-layer. The individual photosensitive areas have a first doped layer and at least a part of the intrinsic layer in common and are electrically separated from one another by interruptions in the second doped layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2010
    Assignee: Dr. Johannes Heidenhain GmbH
    Inventors: Peter Speckbacher, Josef Weidmann, Christopher Eisele, Elmar Mayer, Reiner Burgschat
  • Publication number: 20090079996
    Abstract: A method for absolute position measuring that includes scanning a code having code elements arranged one behind the other in a measuring direction, wherein the code elements include sequential first and second code elements which define a code word containing absolute position information. The method including generating scanning signals within the first code elements and the second code elements. The method further including forming information regarding the sequential first and second code elements from the scanning signals via a reference value and determining the reference value as a function of at least one of the scanning signals within the first code elements and the scanning signals within the second code elements.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 18, 2008
    Publication date: March 26, 2009
    Inventors: Elmar Mayer, Johann Oberhauser
  • Publication number: 20090015423
    Abstract: A method for transmitting signals from a position measuring arrangement to an evaluation unit, the method including transmitting position signals, reference pulses, and warning signals indicating a malfunction state from a position measuring arrangement for determining the position of two elements of a machine which are movable relative to each other, to an evaluation unit. The method further includes logically interconnecting the reference pulses with the position signals in such a way that, in a malfunction-free state, a valid status combination for outputting the reference pulses and an invalid status combination for outputting the reference pulses appear in each period. The method including transmitting warning signals indicating a malfunction state during the invalid status combination of the position signals and the reference pulses which, in the malfunction-free state, is invalid for outputting the reference pulses.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 9, 2008
    Publication date: January 15, 2009
    Inventors: Johannes Wagner, Elmar Mayer
  • Publication number: 20080257951
    Abstract: A position-measuring device includes a code, including a series of code elements arranged one behind the other in a measuring direction, in which at least two consecutive code elements respectively form a code word containing a position information item, and a scanning device having detector elements for reading the at least two code elements of the code that form a code word, and an evaluation device in which the code word having the current position information may be ascertained from the scanning signals of the detector elements. The scanning device and the code are arranged in a moveable manner relative to each other in the measuring direction. Between adjacent code elements, which have identical properties in the transition region, separating elements having complementary properties are inserted.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 21, 2008
    Publication date: October 23, 2008
    Inventors: Elmar MAYER, Johann OBERHAUSER, Heinz TOVAR
  • Publication number: 20070278486
    Abstract: A scanning head for an optical position-measuring system includes a receiver grating, formed of photosensitive areas, for the scanning of locally intensity-modulated light of differing wavelengths. The receiver grating is formed from a semiconductor layer stack of a doped p-layer, an intrinsic i-layer and a doped n-layer. The individual photosensitive areas have a first doped layer and at least a part of the intrinsic layer in common and are electrically separated from one another by interruptions in the second doped layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 29, 2004
    Publication date: December 6, 2007
    Inventors: Peter Speckbacher, Josef Weidmann, Christopher Eisele, Elmar Mayer, Reiner Burgschat
  • Patent number: 7235776
    Abstract: A device for regulating a light source of a position-measuring unit includes: a measuring standard device that is movable relative to the light source; and a plurality of photodetectors, the photocurrent of at least one of the photodetectors usable as a basis for forming an actual value. The photodetectors are arranged such that light modulated by at least a partial number of the photodetectors of the measuring standard device is convertible into position-dependent photocurrents. In addition, the position-measuring unit includes a device for generating a setpoint value, and a comparator, by which a comparison between the actual value and the setpoint value may be made. By the generation device, the setpoint value is able to be generated based on the position-dependent photocurrents. A method is for performing such a regulation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2007
    Assignee: Johannes Heidenhain GmbH
    Inventors: Elmar Mayer, Johann Oberhauser
  • Patent number: 7230726
    Abstract: A scanning unit for a position measuring instrument for optical scanning of a measuring graduation. The scanning unit includes a light source that emits light in a direction towards a measuring graduation that generates modified light from the emitted light. A detector that receives the modified light. A lens array, disposed upstream of the detector and including a plurality of optical lenses, that generates a defined image of a region of the measuring graduation, scanned by the emitted light, on the detector, wherein an image magnification of the lens array is greater than 0 and less than or equal to 2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2007
    Assignee: Dr. Johannes Heidenhain GmbH
    Inventors: Wolfgang Holzapfel, Elmar Mayer, Ulrich Benner
  • Patent number: 7199354
    Abstract: A photodiode detector array for optical encoders includes a plurality of photodiodes, each of the photodiodes providing a scanning signal with a defined phase relationship to a scale when the detector array moves relative to the scale. A plurality of switching elements is provided for selectively combining each of the photodiodes with other photo diodes in a defined manner. The switching elements allow the photodiodes to be unambiguously combined for at least two different scale radii so that a defined number of phase shifted scanning signals is generated in each case. The combination of the photodiodes differs between the at least two different scale radii.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2007
    Assignees: Dr. Johannes Heidenhain GmbH, Renco Encoders, Inc.
    Inventors: Elmar Mayer, Ruth E. Franklin
  • Patent number: 7164482
    Abstract: A position measuring system that includes a scale having a measuring graduation extending along a first line and a scanning device. The scanning device includes a light source that transmits light beams that scan the measuring graduation, wherein the measuring graduation generates modified light from the transmitted light beams and a detector unit that receives the modified light from the measuring graduation. A lens arrangement, arranged between the scale and the detector unit, the lens arrangement generating a defined image of the measuring graduation on the, detector unit, wherein the defined image extends along a second line, whose curvature is different from a curvature of the first line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2007
    Assignee: Dr. Johannes Heidenhain GmbH
    Inventors: Ulrich Benner, Elmar Mayer, Wolfgang Holzapfel
  • Patent number: 7084390
    Abstract: A position-measuring device includes a measuring graduation extending along a measuring direction, a scanning unit for scanning the measuring graduation, and a detection device of the scanning unit including a plurality of detector elements that are arranged periodically one after the other along an extension direction and that, during scanning of the measuring graduation, generate output signals able to be supplied to an evaluation unit. In each case, a plurality of adjacent detector elements are interconnected to form a detector group such that their output signals are able to be joined and supplied as a unified signal to the evaluation unit. The detector elements are combined to form detector groups, and are arranged in the form of detector groups one after the other along the extension direction such that at least one defined harmonic is eliminated from the output signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2006
    Assignee: Dr. Johannes Heidenhain GmbH
    Inventor: Elmar Mayer
  • Publication number: 20060043272
    Abstract: A photodiode detector array for optical encoders includes a plurality of photodiodes, each of the photodiodes providing a scanning signal with a defined phase relationship to a scale when the detector array moves relative to the scale. A plurality of switching elements is provided for selectively combining each of the photodiodes with other photo diodes in a defined manner. The switching elements allow the photodiodes to be unambiguously combined for at least two different scale radii so that a defined number of phase shifted scanning signals is generated in each case. The combination of the photodiodes differs between the at least two different scale radii.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 26, 2004
    Publication date: March 2, 2006
    Inventors: Elmar Mayer, Ruth Franklin
  • Publication number: 20060009947
    Abstract: A position-measuring device having integrated function testing includes a position-recording unit, a processing unit, and a control-word generator. In a positional-data request, a positional-data word is first generated in the position-recording unit and output to the processing unit. There, the position data word is processed into a position value. Subsequently, a control-data word is generated in the position-recording unit according to the specification of the control-word generator and output to the processing unit. The processing unit processes the control-data word into a control value which has a defined mathematical relationship to the position value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 11, 2005
    Publication date: January 12, 2006
    Inventors: Erich Strasser, Elmar Mayer
  • Patent number: RE40676
    Abstract: A scanning unit for an optical position measuring device, which is suited for optically scanning a scale graduation, to produce positionally dependent scanning signals on the basis of scale graduation. The scanning unit includes a carrier element, at least one optoelectronic component, which is arranged on the carrier element, a radiation-sensitive or a radiation-emitting surface region of the component being oriented to face away from the carrier element. Provision is also made for at least one electrically conductive connector lead between the carrier element and a contacting region of the component. An at least semi-transparent cover element is arranged directly on the radiation-sensitive and/or radiation-emitting surface region of the component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2009
    Assignee: Dr. Johannes Heidenhain GmbH
    Inventors: Wolfgang Holzapfel, Elmar Mayer, Siegfried Reichhuber