Patents by Inventor Erwin Kessler

Erwin Kessler 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: 20250223859
    Abstract: In a method for operating a motor-actuatable tailgate of a motor vehicle, the motor of which can be activated or deactivated controlledly by actuation of an actuating element of an operating element, a control unit ascertains whether the actuating element is actuated for a predetermined period of time or by a predetermined actuation sequence and at the same time a manual closing movement of the tailgate is effected. If so, a holding mode is activated on reaching the tailgate position at which the actuating element is no longer actuated, wherein the motor is short-circuited in the holding mode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2023
    Publication date: July 10, 2025
    Applicant: Conti Temic microelectronic GmbH
    Inventors: Erwin Kessler, Beat Bauer
  • Patent number: 12261564
    Abstract: Method for operating a DC motor, where the DC motor is supplied with a variable DC voltage via a bridge circuit from a supply voltage and formed by a first, a second, a third and a fourth controllable switch, wherein the DC voltage is varied by pulse width modulation of the control signals driving the controllable switches of the bridge circuit. A control arrangement drives the bridge circuit by pulse width modulation, after the first switch connecting the DC motor to the supply voltage has been switched off, switches on the second switch connected to a ground terminal, or vice versa. The control arrangement automatically inserts a drive pause between the first or second switch being switched off and the second or first switch being switched on, whereby a bridge circuit voltage present at the DC motor is limited by a resultant maximum settable duty cycle to a maximum value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2025
    Assignee: Conti Temic microelectronic GmbH
    Inventors: Beat Bauer, Frank Faha, Erwin Kessler
  • Patent number: 12228595
    Abstract: Disclosed are apparatus and method for measuring electric current flowing through an inductive load energized by a half-bridge circuit with at least two semiconductor switches. The semiconductor switches are switched on and off in a complementary manner according to PWM.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2025
    Assignee: Conti Temic microelectronic GmbH
    Inventors: Ulrich Joos, Erwin Kessler
  • Publication number: 20250052815
    Abstract: Disclosed is a circuit arrangement for checking the cutout ability of an electronic fuse used as an interrupter, a first electronic switch, between a power supply and a control device. A second electronic switch is connected in parallel with the first switch has a lower current-carrying capacity than the first switch and is configured, when conductive, to generate a lower voltage drop across its load path than the first switch at the same current as the first switch. The first and the second switches are actuated by a control and diagnostic circuit configured to check the cutout ability of the first switch acting as a fuse when the second switch is switched on, and to check the voltage drop across the two switches and, upon a reduction in the voltage when the second switch is on and the first switch is off, to conclude that the switches are functioning correctly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2022
    Publication date: February 13, 2025
    Applicant: Continental Automotive Technologies GmbH
    Inventors: Erwin Kessler, Christian Gil
  • Publication number: 20250052805
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method for checking the turn-off capability of an electronic fuse in the form of a MOSFET, said electronic fuse being used as an interrupter switch between a voltage supply and a control device, wherein the MOSFET is turned on during operation as intended and is operated in the linear region, wherein, for checking the turn-off capability, the gate-source voltage of the MOSFET is reduced by a predefined value until a predefined threshold value is reached and, after the threshold value has been reached, the gate-source voltage is increased again to the previous value for turning on the MOSFET, and wherein a check is made to ascertain whether the drain-source voltage of the MOSFET increases as the gate-source voltage is reduced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2022
    Publication date: February 13, 2025
    Applicant: Continental Automotive Technologies GmbH
    Inventors: Erwin Kessler, Christian Gil
  • Publication number: 20240030845
    Abstract: Method for operating a DC motor where the DC motor is supplied with a variable DC voltage via a bridge circuit from a supply voltage and formed by a first, a second, a third and a fourth controllable switch, wherein the DC voltage is varied by pulse width modulation of the control signals driving the controllable switches of the bridge circuit. A control arrangement drives the bridge circuit by pulse width modulation, after the first switch connecting the DC motor to the supply voltage has been switched off, switches on the second switch connected to a ground terminal, or vice versa. The control arrangement automatically inserts a drive pause between the first or second switch being switched off and the second or first switch being switched on, whereby a bridge circuit voltage present at the DC motor is limited by a resultant maximum settable duty cycle to a maximum value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 9, 2021
    Publication date: January 25, 2024
    Applicant: Conti Temic microelectronic GmbH
    Inventors: Beat Bauer, Frank Faha, Erwin Kessler
  • Patent number: 11448002
    Abstract: A trunk cover for a vehicle includes an upper panel covering one portion of a loading space part formed in a vehicle, a lower panel disposed continuously with the upper panel and covering the other portion of the loading space part; a main body connection part connecting the upper panel to a main body of the vehicle, and a panel connection part connecting the upper panel and the lower panel so that a length formed by the upper panel and the lower panel is variable when opening the loading space part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2022
    Assignee: CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE GMBH
    Inventors: Sanghun Lee, Erwin Kessler
  • Publication number: 20220260615
    Abstract: Disclosed are apparatus and method for measuring an electric current flowing through an inductive load energized by a half-bridge circuit with at least two semiconductor switches. The semiconductor switches are switched on and off in a complementary manner according to PWM.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 14, 2020
    Publication date: August 18, 2022
    Inventors: Ulrich Joos, Erwin Kessler
  • Patent number: 11225171
    Abstract: A method for charging a starter battery of a vehicle is disclosed, wherein the vehicle has at least one movable opening element and a motor unit, which is coupled to the opening element and is operable in a motor-powered drive mode to drive the opening element and in a generator mode to generate an electrical voltage, said method comprising: detecting the generator mode of the motor unit using the electrical voltage generated by the motor unit, comparing the generated electrical voltage with a specified voltage value, and establishing an electrical connection from the motor unit to the starter battery to charge the starter battery, if the generated electrical voltage is greater than the voltage value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2022
    Inventor: Erwin Kessler
  • Patent number: 11165313
    Abstract: Provided is a decelerator-equipped motor unit which can achieve cost reductions in the control board and improvement of both mechanical and electrical reliability through a particular arrangement of elements on the board, thereby achieving a smaller size by realizing an appropriate board shape without increasing the size of the unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2021
    Assignees: MABUCHI MOTOR CO., LTD., CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE GMBH
    Inventors: Junya Kurata, Satoshi Kikuchi, Bjoern Schmitz, Erwin Kessler, Gebhard Hopfmueller
  • Publication number: 20200263477
    Abstract: A method for controlling a liftgate of a motor vehicle in order to automatically move the liftgate from a closed position into an open position or from the open position into the closed position, wherein to move the liftgate a first and a second drive unit are activated, which each couple the liftgate to a motor vehicle component relative to which the liftgate is moved, wherein in the case that a drive force necessary to move the liftgate is below a predefined limit value, a braking operation is started in which the first and second drive units are activated such that the first drive unit exerts on the liftgate a force directed in a first direction in order to move the liftgate, and the second drive unit exerts on the liftgate a braking force at least partially opposite the first direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 12, 2018
    Publication date: August 20, 2020
    Inventor: Erwin Kessler
  • Patent number: 10749521
    Abstract: A method for identifying correct operation of an electrical switching unit, having a full bridge circuit and inductive load operated by the full bridge circuit. The full bridge circuit includes a first semiconductor switching element supplying the inductive load with a first supply voltage potential and a second semiconductor switching element supplying the inductive load with a second supply voltage potential, having a smaller value than the first supply voltage potential. The first and second semiconductor switching element each have a diode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2020
    Assignee: Conti Temic Microelectronic GmbH
    Inventor: Erwin Kessler
  • Publication number: 20200186013
    Abstract: Provided is a decelerator-equipped motor unit which can achieve cost reductions in the control board and improvement of both mechanical and electrical reliability through a particular arrangement of elements on the board, thereby achieving a smaller size by realizing an appropriate board shape without increasing the size of the unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2018
    Publication date: June 11, 2020
    Inventors: Junya Kurata, Satoshi Kikuchi, Bjoern Schmitz, Erwin Kessler, Gebhard Hopfmueller
  • Publication number: 20200177177
    Abstract: A method for identifying correct operation of an electrical switching unit, having a full bridge circuit and inductive load operated by the full bridge circuit. The full bridge circuit includes a first semiconductor switching element supplying the inductive load with a first supply voltage potential and a second semiconductor switching element supplying the inductive load with a second supply voltage potential, having a smaller value than the first supply voltage potential. The first and second semiconductor switching element each have a diode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 26, 2019
    Publication date: June 4, 2020
    Inventor: Erwin Kessler
  • Patent number: 10670658
    Abstract: The invention relates to an arrangement for identifying an electrical line interruption during operation of a drive system (20), which comprises two parallel-connected DC motors (21, 41), which are mechanically coupled to one another by means of a part that is to be driven, a driver for driving the two parallel-connected DC motors (21, 41) and a measuring device for detecting different electrical variables of the drive system (20). The measuring device comprises a rotational speed determination apparatus (32) for determining the rotational speed of the two DC motors (21, 41) and for supplying a piece of rotational speed information representing the rotational speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2020
    Assignee: Conti Temic microelectronic GmbH
    Inventor: Erwin Kessler
  • Publication number: 20200130533
    Abstract: A method for charging a starter battery of a vehicle is disclosed, wherein the vehicle has at least one movable opening element and a motor unit, which is coupled to the opening element and is operable in a motor-powered drive mode to drive the opening element and in a generator mode to generate an electrical voltage, said method comprising: detecting the generator mode of the motor unit using the electrical voltage generated by the motor unit, comparing the generated electrical voltage with a specified voltage value, and establishing an electrical connection from the motor unit to the starter battery to charge the starter battery, if the generated electrical voltage is greater than the voltage value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2019
    Publication date: April 30, 2020
    Inventor: Erwin Kessler
  • Publication number: 20200056417
    Abstract: A trunk cover for a vehicle includes an upper panel covering one portion of a loading space part formed in a vehicle, a lower panel disposed continuously with the upper panel and covering the other portion of the loading space part; a main body connection part connecting the upper panel to a main body of the vehicle, and a panel connection part connecting the upper panel and the lower panel so that a length formed by the upper panel and the lower panel is variable when opening the loading space part.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 24, 2019
    Publication date: February 20, 2020
    Inventors: SangHun Lee, Erwin Kessler
  • Publication number: 20180313897
    Abstract: The invention relates to an arrangement for identifying an electrical line interruption during operation of a drive system (20), which comprises two parallel-connected DC motors (21, 41), which are mechanically coupled to one another by means of a part that is to be driven, a driver for driving the two parallel-connected DC motors (21, 41) and a measuring device for detecting different electrical variables of the drive system (20). The measuring device comprises a rotational speed determination apparatus (32) for determining the rotational speed of the two DC motors (21, 41) and for supplying a piece of rotational speed information representing the rotational speed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 21, 2016
    Publication date: November 1, 2018
    Inventor: Erwin KESSLER
  • Publication number: 20120306421
    Abstract: A method for operating an electric motor is provided, wherein a motor actuating signal is generated and transmitted to the motor. In order to reduce the noise generated by operating the motor, a suitable additional signal is generated and overlaid on the motor actuating signal when the motor actuating signal is transmitted to the motor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2010
    Publication date: December 6, 2012
    Inventors: Erwin Kessler, Wolfgang Schulter
  • Patent number: 6870339
    Abstract: The invention relates to a simple, economical and reliable method for providing anti-jamming protection. According to said method, the excess force—the difference between the driving force and the friction force—is compared with a trigger threshold. To this end, the curve of the friction force of the current actuation process, which is dependent on the actuation path of the electrical drive unit, is compared to the curve of the friction force of at least one previous actuation process and the trigger threshold value is modified according to how the friction force curves correspond. The invention also relates to a method for providing anti-jamming protection for an electrical drive unit for window lifting drives.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2005
    Assignee: Conti Temic microelectronic GmbH
    Inventors: Erwin Kessler, Wolfgang Schulter