Patents by Inventor Gerald Brinks

Gerald Brinks 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: 11917274
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a camera module. The method includes: a) mounting an image sensor on a circuit board, b) inserting and fixing the circuit board into a housing, c) aligning an objective lens accommodated in the housing and including an electrical interface with respect to the image sensor, d) fixing the objective lens in the housing. In step b) spring contacts, which are movable with respect to the circuit board, are inserted into the housing together with the circuit board and, in a step e), i.e., after the fixation of the objective lens in the housing, are brought into contact with the electrical interface with the aid of clamping and/or fixing elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: ROBERT BOSCH GMBH
    Inventors: Gerald Brinks, Guenter Escher, Matthias Pohl, Peter Diesel
  • Publication number: 20220046147
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a camera module. The method includes: a) mounting an image sensor on a circuit board, b) inserting and fixing the circuit board into a housing, c) aligning an objective lens accommodated in the housing and including an electrical interface with respect to the image sensor, d) fixing the objective lens in the housing. In step b) spring contacts, which are movable with respect to the circuit board, are inserted into the housing together with the circuit board and, in a step e), i.e., after the fixation of the objective lens in the housing, are brought into contact with the electrical interface with the aid of clamping and/or fixing elements.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2021
    Publication date: February 10, 2022
    Inventors: Gerald Brinks, Guenter Escher, Matthias Pohl, Peter Diesel
  • Patent number: 11088513
    Abstract: A laser diode device includes a thermally conductive substrate that has a planar surface for dissipating ambient heat, and a plurality of laser diodes situated thereon, each of which includes at least one epitaxial layer that is situated on a side of the laser diode facing the substrate. The laser diodes are each electrically activated via an electrically conductive coating situated between the at least one epitaxial layer and the substrate. The substrate includes a plurality of metallized cavities that accommodate the plurality of laser diodes so that the plurality of laser diodes have an essentially uniform height above the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2021
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Maximilian Amberger, Gerald Brinks, Tobias Zoller
  • Publication number: 20200153205
    Abstract: A laser diode device includes a thermally conductive substrate that has a planar surface for dissipating ambient heat, and a plurality of laser diodes situated thereon, each of which includes at least one epitaxial layer that is situated on a side of the laser diode facing the substrate. The laser diodes are each electrically activated via an electrically conductive coating situated between the at least one epitaxial layer and the substrate. The substrate includes a plurality of metallized cavities that accommodate the plurality of laser diodes so that the plurality of laser diodes have an essentially uniform height above the substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 12, 2019
    Publication date: May 14, 2020
    Inventors: Maximilian Amberger, Gerald Brinks, Tobias Zoller
  • Patent number: 10018526
    Abstract: A connection device for a pressure sensor includes a supporting unit and a circuit board. The circuit board carries an electronic circuit having at least one of at least one electronic component and at least one electrical component. The supporting unit includes a multi-part main body that is electrically and mechanically connected to the circuit board via at least one soldered connection. The supporting unit further forms an external interface having at least one electrical contact point that enables tapping of at least one electrical output signal of the electronic circuit, and that is electrically connected to a corresponding contact point of the circuit board via an electrical connection. A pressure sensor includes such a connection device, and a method pertains to producing such a connection device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2018
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Michael Schlitzkus, Stefan Lehenberger, Dmitriy Aranovich, Gerald Brinks, Peter Diesel
  • Patent number: 9557515
    Abstract: A camera module, in particular, for a vehicle, the camera module including at least: an objective mount and an objective, which is held in the objective mount and has a lens holder and at least one lens secured in the lens holder, the objective being fixed in position in the objective mount by a frictional connection between an outer surface of the lens holder and an inner surface of the objective mount. A plurality of frictional connection devices spaced apart in the circumferential direction are formed on the outer surface of the lens holder and/or on the inner surface of the objective mount, in order to generate the frictional connection. To insert and to adjust the objective, the objective mount is preferably asymmetrically deformed in an elastic manner, and the objective is placed into the deformed objective mount, and the elastic deformation is subsequently removed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Gerald Brinks, Uwe Apel, Ulrich Seger
  • Publication number: 20170010170
    Abstract: A connection device for a pressure sensor includes a supporting unit and a circuit board. The circuit board carries an electronic circuit having at least one of at least one electronic component and at least one electrical component. The supporting unit includes a multi-part main body that is electrically and mechanically connected to the circuit board via at least one soldered connection. The supporting unit further forms an external interface having at least one electrical contact point that enables tapping of at least one electrical output signal of the electronic circuit, and that is electrically connected to a corresponding contact point of the circuit board via an electrical connection. A pressure sensor includes such a connection device, and a method pertains to producing such a connection device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 17, 2015
    Publication date: January 12, 2017
    Inventors: Michael Schlitzkus, Stefan Lehenberger, Dmitriy Aranovich, Gerald Brinks, Peter Diesel
  • Patent number: 9401379
    Abstract: An image sensor module includes an image sensor bearer and an image sensor, the image sensor bearer being fashioned as an injection-molded circuit bearer, and the image sensor being situated on the image sensor bearer, and the image sensor bearer including at least one holding device that is integrally formed on the image sensor bearer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2016
    Assignee: ROBERT BOSCH GMBH
    Inventors: Hartmut Rohde, Ulrich Seger, Thomas Kurzweil, Uwe Apel, Marc Zimmermann, Anja Beckerle, Klaus Zeh, Gerald Brinks
  • Publication number: 20150092105
    Abstract: A camera module, in particular, for a vehicle, the camera module including at least: an objective mount and an objective, which is held in the objective mount and has a lens holder and at least one lens secured in the lens holder, the objective being fixed in position in the objective mount by a frictional connection between an outer surface of the lens holder and an inner surface of the objective mount. A plurality of frictional connection devices spaced apart in the circumferential direction are formed on the outer surface of the lens holder and/or on the inner surface of the objective mount, in order to generate the frictional connection. To insert and to adjust the objective, the objective mount is preferably asymmetrically deformed in an elastic manner, and the objective is placed into the deformed objective mount, and the elastic deformation is subsequently removed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 11, 2013
    Publication date: April 2, 2015
    Inventors: Gerald Brinks, Uwe Apel, Ulrich Seger
  • Publication number: 20140061438
    Abstract: An image sensor module includes an image sensor bearer and an image sensor, the image sensor bearer being fashioned as an injection-molded circuit bearer, and the image sensor being situated on the image sensor bearer, and the image sensor bearer including at least one holding device that is integrally formed on the image sensor bearer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 16, 2012
    Publication date: March 6, 2014
    Inventors: Hartmut Rohde, Ulrich Seger, Thomas Kurzweil, Uwe Apel, Marc Zimmermann, Anja Beckerle, Klaus Zeh, Gerald Brinks
  • Patent number: 6532429
    Abstract: The invention relates to an offset regulation device for a sensor module and a method for realizing such an offset regulation, particularly for acceleration sensors and pressure sensors. The disadvantage of currently used offset regulation devices is that impermissible offset drifts or other errors are not recognized and are camouflaged by the offset regulation device. As a result, the measuring values can be distorted. The offset regulation device according to the invention comprises a monitoring device that is integrated into the offset regulation device and which recognizes and indicates such errors. This monitoring device comprises an analog or digital adder, which detects the deviation of the actual value from the desired value or values depending thereon. If the regulation takes too long because the deviation is too large and the offset is therefore not permissible, then a maximum or minimum value is reached during the adding up in the adder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2003
    Assignee: Temic Telefunken microelectronic GmbH
    Inventors: Gerald Brinks, Thomas Ohgke, Günther Schuster
  • Patent number: 6112594
    Abstract: Acceleration measurement device comprising a housing (1), an acceleration sensor unit (6) and a carrier (2) defining a location for the acceleration sensor unit (6). The carrier comprises connecting legs (3) in order to produce at least one mounting plane (18, 20) for the housing (1), wherein the location plane (20) is placed at any angle (Alpha) to the mounting plane (18, 19).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2000
    Assignee: Temic Telefunken Microelectronic GmbH
    Inventors: Gerald Brinks, Viktor Tiederle
  • Patent number: 6029497
    Abstract: The invention concerns a process for driving a sensor with offset control. Such processes for driving are required, for example, to be used in acceleration transducers in motor vehicles for triggering, e.g., airbags or belt-tensioning devices. However, with existing processes the output nominal signal was repeatedly corrupted, e.g., by temperature-related interference signals, also known as the offset. In addition, existing systems are unreliable during turn-on. However, with the process according to this invention, the sign and the value of the difference between the output signal and a reference voltage is detected at a fixed or variable time pulse, with the sign changing the measuring voltage at the output and the difference value determining the clock frequency for this control process. Also, during turn-on a significantly increased clock frequency will be reduced in stages until the operating frequency is reached.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 29, 2000
    Assignee: Temic Telefunken Microelectronic GmbH
    Inventors: Gerald Brinks, Manfred Weinacht
  • Patent number: 5631421
    Abstract: A piezoelectric acceleration transducer characterized by a flexible element formed of a piezoelectric material with two external electrodes, a support member having two plate-type supporting components between which the flexible member is arranged, and a carrier plate to which the support member is mechanically and electrically connected such that the principal axis of sensitivity of the flexible element lies in the same plane as the carrier plate. The supporting components may be formed of a nonconducting material with a electrically conductive coating on the side facing the flexible element and at a point of contact with the carrier base. Alternatively, the supporting components may be made from an electrically conductive material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 1995
    Date of Patent: May 20, 1997
    Assignee: Temic Telefunken microelectronic GmbH
    Inventors: Thomas Ohgke, Dieter Nagele, Gerald Brinks, Manfred Weinacht, Viktor Tiederle