Patents by Inventor Eric Stark

Eric Stark 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: 12050164
    Abstract: A throughflow measurement system for measuring a fluid throughflow through a pipe includes a first measurement arrangement having at least two ultrasonic transducers and that is configured to determine a value for the fluid throughflow through the pipe on the basis of transit times of ultrasonic signals transmitted and received with and against the flow. A second measurement arrangement includes a plurality of hot-wire sensors that are arranged distributed over the cross-section of the pipe and that are each configured to determine a local flow value. An evaluation device is in signal connection with the first measurement arrangement and the second measurement arrangement and is configured to determine a flow profile on the basis of the local flow values determined by the hot-wire sensors and to modify the value for the fluid throughflow, which is determined by the first measurement arrangement, on the basis of the determined flow profile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2024
    Assignee: SICK ENGINEERING GMBH
    Inventors: Markus Klemm, Eric Starke, Mario Künzelmann
  • Patent number: 11761805
    Abstract: The invention relates to a flow measuring device comprising a meter body having a conduit for the fluid, two phased-array ultrasonic transducer units spaced apart in the longitudinal direction of the conduit, which can emit and receive ultrasonic signals at different angles, a control and evaluation unit for driving the ultrasonic transducer units and evaluating the received ultrasonic signals and determining the flow using the transit time of the ultrasonic signals on the measuring paths.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2023
    Assignee: SICK ENGINEERING GMBH
    Inventors: Markus Klemm, Eric Starke, Christian Schulz
  • Patent number: 11619528
    Abstract: Flow velocity of a fluid is measured using a measuring sensor comprising a conduit with a conduit wall, and at least two ultrasonic transducer units (20, 22), each of which consists of an array of individual ultrasonic transducers (30-x, 32-x) and defining a measuring path (24) between them in the conduit (14). The ultrasonic transducer units emit ultrasonic signals and received ultrasonic signals are evaluated to determine the flow velocity. The individual ultrasonic transducers are driven with different phase, so that the ultrasonic transducer units provide a phased array. In order to achieve the most accurate measurement results possible, the ultrasonic transducer units contact the outside of the conduit wall (16), and the conduit wall (16) is formed in the area of the contact with a wall thickness (w) that is less than half the wavelength of the transverse wave (?Rohr) of the ultrasound in the conduit wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignee: SICK ENGINEERING GMBH
    Inventors: Markus Klemm, Christian Schulz, Eric Starke
  • Patent number: 11454705
    Abstract: A system and method characterizes the height of targets in an environment around a vehicle. Signals are transmitted into the environment and return signals are received to determine a track corresponding to a target. For each track, bins are generated, each bin corresponding to a segment of the range, the segments having a gradually increasing size between the minimum range and maximum range. Range and magnitude values of the received return signals are determined for a selected track. A plurality of filled bins are determined, filled bins indicating that a return signal within the selected track has a range value falling within the segment corresponding to said bin. When the number of filled bins exceeds a set threshold, the return signals having range values within the segments corresponding to the filled bins are analyzed to characterize a height of the target.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2022
    Assignee: Veoneer US, LLC
    Inventors: Reza Mardani, Florian Trompeter, Tony Chan, Eric Stark Willmann, Eduardo Martony, Etty J. Lee
  • Publication number: 20200271757
    Abstract: A system and method characterizes the height of targets in an environment around a vehicle. Signals are transmitted into the environment and return signals are received to determine a track corresponding to a target. For each track, bins are generated, each bin corresponding to a segment of the range, the segments having a gradually increasing size between the minimum range and maximum range. Range and magnitude values of the received return signals are determined for a selected track. A plurality of filled bins are determined, filled bins indicating that a return signal within the selected track has a range value falling within the segment corresponding to said bin. When the number of filled bins exceeds a set threshold, the return signals having range values within the segments corresponding to the filled bins are analyzed to characterize a height of the target.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 22, 2019
    Publication date: August 27, 2020
    Applicant: Veoneer US, Inc.
    Inventors: Reza Mardani, Florian Trompeter, Tony Chan, Eric Stark Willmann, Eduardo Martony, Etty J. Lee
  • Patent number: 10488237
    Abstract: The invention relates to a measurement apparatus for measuring a flow rate of a fluid that flows with a main direction of flow in a circular line comprising an inlet section for conducting the fluid from the circular line into the measurement apparatus; an outlet section for conducting the fluid from the measurement apparatus into the circular line; a measurement section for connecting the inlet section to the outlet section; at least one ultrasound device for transmitting and/or receiving ultrasound waves, wherein the ultrasound device is arranged at a wall of the measurement section; and an evaluation unit for carrying out a time of flight difference measurement and for determining the flow rate, wherein the inlet section has a first superelliptic transitional shape and the outlet section has a second superelliptic transitional shape and the measurement section has a rectangular form, in particular having rounded corners.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2019
    Assignee: SICK ENGINEERING GMBH
    Inventors: Eric Starke, Christian Schulz, Mario Künzelmann
  • Patent number: 10408649
    Abstract: The flow speed of a fluid (12) flowing in a conduit (14) is measured using at least one ultrasonic transducer (18a-b) that is attached to the conduit wall (22) from the outside The transducer (18a-b) has an oscillating body (34) that couples to a part region (32) of the conduit wall (22) that acts as a membrane of the ultrasonic transducer (18a-b) that can vibrate. A coupling piece (36) whose cross-section is smaller than the cross-section of the oscillating body (34) is arranged between the membrane (32) and the oscillating body (34).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2019
    Assignee: SICK ENGINEERING GMBH
    Inventors: Volker Herrmann, Eric Starke, Christian Schulz
  • Publication number: 20120121108
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention address the deficiencies of the prior art by providing a method, apparatus, and program product to cooperatively mediate between voice-enabled operations and business logic. The method comprises receiving XML data and generating at least one object from the XML data. The method further comprises, in response to determining that the at least one object has been called, implementing an operation defined by a portion of the object.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 16, 2010
    Publication date: May 17, 2012
    Inventors: Dennis Doubleday, Eric Stark, Arthur McNair, TIm Lesher, Mark Koenig, Ed Stoll, Mike Ressler, Swathi Voruganti