Patents by Inventor Frank Künzler

Frank Künzler 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: 9136571
    Abstract: The invention relates to a driver assistance device (2) for a vehicle (1), having a radar apparatus (3, 4) for detecting objects which are external to the vehicle, which radar apparatus (3, 4) has an antenna unit (14) for irradiating and/or receiving electromagnetic waves (S0, SE) and a damping element (24, 25, 26) which is coupled to the antenna unit (14) and has the purpose of directing and damping the electromagnetic waves (S0, SE), by means of which damping element (24, 25, 26) the antenna unit (14) can be coupled to a transmitter and/or receiver device (16, 17) of the radar apparatus (3, 4), wherein the damping element (24, 25, 26) has a branching unit (31) with a first line branch (32) for directing the damped electromagnetic waves (S0, SE) between the transmitter and/or receiver device (16, 17), on the one hand and the antenna unit (14) on the other, as well as a second line branch (33) which is coupled to the first line branch (32) and is terminated with a reflection-free terminating element (35, 37).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2015
    Assignee: Valeo Schalter Und Sensoren GmbH
    Inventors: Uwe Papziner, Frank Kuenzler
  • Publication number: 20130063297
    Abstract: The invention relates to a driver assistance device (2) for a vehicle (1), having a radar apparatus (3, 4) for detecting objects which are external to the vehicle, which radar apparatus (3, 4) has an antenna unit (14) for irradiating and/or receiving electromagnetic waves (S0, SE) and a damping element (24, 25, 26) which is coupled to the antenna unit (14) and has the purpose of directing and damping the electromagnetic waves (S0, SE), by means of which damping element (24, 25, 26) the antenna unit (14) can be coupled to a transmitter and/or receiver device (16, 17) of the radar apparatus (3, 4), wherein the damping element (24, 25, 26) has a branching unit (31) with a first line branch (32) for directing the damped electromagnetic waves (S0, SE) between the transmitter and/or receiver device (16, 17), on the one hand and the antenna unit (14) on the other, as well as a second line branch (33) which is coupled to the first line branch (32) and is terminated with a reflection-free terminating element (35, 37).
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2011
    Publication date: March 14, 2013
    Applicant: VALEO SCHALTER UND SENSOREN GMBH
    Inventors: Uwe Papziner, Frank Kuenzler
  • Patent number: 8174434
    Abstract: An apparatus and a method for determining a distance (r) to a target object (200) proposes transmitting electromagnetic waves in the form of a transmission signal (120a) by a transmitter (111a), receiving at least one part of said transmission signal (120a) reflected by a the target object (200) in the form of a reception signal (120c, 120d) by receiving device (111b) and evaluating the reception signal (120c, 120d) according a reference signal (1230b) which has a known phase difference with respect to the transmission signal (120a) and a frequency equal to the frequency thereof. The reference (120) and reception (120c, 120d) signal frequencies are reduced in a frequency divider (113) with the same predefined divider factor (x) while preserving the existing phase difference between the reference signal (120b) and the reception (120c, 120d) signal in such a way that a reduced frequency reception signal (120b?) and a reduced frequency reception signal (120d) are obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignee: Valeo Schalter und Sensoren GmbH
    Inventors: Frank Künzler, Udo Haberland, Robert Rehner, Jochen Weinzierl, Lorenz-Peter Schmidt
  • Publication number: 20100007548
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for determining a distance (r) to a target object (200) consisting in transmitting electromagnetic waves in the form of a transmission signal (120a) by a transmitter (111a), receiving at least one part of said transmission signal (120a) reflected by a the target object (200) in the form of a reception signal (120c, 120d) by receiving device (111b) and evaluating the reception signal (120c, 120d) according a reference signal (1230b) which has a known phase difference with respect to the transmission signal (120a) and a frequency equal to the frequency thereof. The reference (120) and reception (120c, 120d) signal frequencies are reduced in a frequency divider (113) with the same predefined divider factor (x) while preserving the existing phase difference between the reference signal (120b) and the reception (120c, 120d) signal in such a way that a reduced frequency reception signal (120b?) and a reduced frequency reception signal (120d) are obtained.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 27, 2006
    Publication date: January 14, 2010
    Inventors: Frank Künzler, Udo Haberland, Robert Rehner, Jochen Weinzierl, Lorenz-Peter Schmidt
  • Publication number: 20070080862
    Abstract: A method for operating an antenna assembly (100) produces a desired overall directional dependence. The antenna assembly (100) comprises at least one first partial antenna (R1) and a second partial antenna (R1+R2), which are disposed relative to each other in such a manner that the individual directional dependences of the partial antennas at least partially overlap. The first partial antenna (R1) is associated with a first antenna signal which represents a radio signal for receiving or transmitting via the first partial antenna (R1), and the second partial antenna (R1+R2) is associated with a second antenna signal which represents a radio signal for receiving or transmitting via the second partial antenna.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2004
    Publication date: April 12, 2007
    Inventors: Bernd Biehlman, Heinrich Gotzig, Frank Kuenzler, Uwe Papziner, Udo Haberland
  • Publication number: 20040243323
    Abstract: The invention relates to an electronic system (30) comprising a number of sensors (32, 34, 36, 38), a sensor (38) for use in such a system (30) and a method for controlling the electronic system (30). The electronic system (30) comprises a number of sensors (32, 34, 36, 38), one of which is designed as a master sensor (38).
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 30, 2004
    Publication date: December 2, 2004
    Applicant: Valeo Schalter and Sensoren GmbH
    Inventors: Frank Kuenzler, Bernd Biehlman, Heinrich Gotzig, Timo Hammel