Patents by Inventor Hans-Ludwig Gotz
Hans-Ludwig Gotz 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).
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Patent number: 9970787Abstract: A sine wave oscillator for an inductive sensor system is disclosed. The sine wave oscillator comprises a decoupler and a low-pass filter, wherein the decoupler is configured to provide a pulse width modulated signal as a decoupled signal at one output of the decoupler. One input of the low-pass filter is connected to the output of the decoupler. The low-pass filter is configured to provide a sinusoidal signal for the inductive sensor system by using the inverted signal at an output of the low-pass filter. The sine wave oscillator further comprises a microcontroller that is designed to provide the pulse width modulated signal with a predetermined frequency and a predetermined duty cycle at one pin of the microcontroller.Type: GrantFiled: August 4, 2014Date of Patent: May 15, 2018Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AGInventors: Hans-Ludwig Götz, Thomas Luber
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Publication number: 20160223359Abstract: A sine wave oscillator for an inductive sensor system is disclosed. The sine wave oscillator comprises a decoupler and a low-pass filter, wherein the decoupler is configured to provide a pulse width modulated signal as a decoupled signal at one output of the decoupler. One input of the low-pass filter is connected to the output of the decoupler. The low-pass filter is configured to provide a sinusoidal signal for the inductive sensor system by using the inverted signal at an output of the low-pass filter. The sine wave oscillator further comprises a microcontroller that is designed to provide the pulse width modulated signal with a predetermined frequency and a predetermined duty cycle at one pin of the microcontroller.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 4, 2014Publication date: August 4, 2016Applicant: ZF Friedrichshafen AGInventors: Hans-Ludwig Götz, Thomas Luber
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Publication number: 20160187161Abstract: Sensor for detecting a position in two spatial directions (x, y), wherein the sensor comprises a sensor array and an actuator. The sensor array has a first row and at least a second row. The rows have in a first spatial direction (x) adjacently arranged sensor elements. The rows are arranged side by side in a second spatial direction (y) transverse to the first spatial direction (x). The actuator is arranged in a third spatial direction (z) transverse to the first spatial direction (x) and the second spatial direction (y) spaced apart from the sensor array. The actuator is designed movable in the first spatial direction (x) and the second spatial direction (y) relative to the sensor array. The actuator is adapted to influence a measurement variable of the sensor elements, wherein a signal of a sensor element represents a degree of overlap of the sensor element by the actuator.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 14, 2014Publication date: June 30, 2016Applicant: ZF Friedrichshafen AGInventors: Thomas LUBER, Hans-Ludwig GÖTZ
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Patent number: 8333128Abstract: An electronic selector lever module for generating gear shifting signals for an automatic transmission of a vehicle. The swivel motion of the gear selector lever, within a main shifting path, is transformed into rotational motion for an angle sensor. The sensor is positioned on a printed circuit board and is actuated by a rotor. To guide the rotor relative to the angle sensor, the rotor either surrounds a rounded part of the printed circuit board or surrounds a rotor guidance which is mounted on the printed circuit board. The mechanical linking point is a short sleeve at a slider, which both belong to the rotor, needed for the shifting path motion, and which also drive the tilting lever for the transverse motion. The slider can be moved, relative to the rotor, along rails, either radially and directly at the rotor, or tangentially to the pivot point of the rotor.Type: GrantFiled: July 11, 2008Date of Patent: December 18, 2012Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AGInventors: Thomas Schober, Thomas Deichler, Hans-Ludwig Gotz
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Publication number: 20100175494Abstract: An electronic selector lever module for generating gear shifting signals for an automatic transmission of a vehicle. The swivel motion of the gear selector lever, within a main shifting path, is transformed into rotational motion for an angle sensor. The sensor is positioned on a printed circuit board and is actuated by a rotor. To guide the rotor relative to the angle sensor, the rotor either surrounds a rounded part of the printed circuit board or surrounds a rotor guidance which is mounted on the printed circuit board. The mechanical linking point is a short sleeve at a slider, which both belong to the rotor, needed for the shifting path motion, and which also drive the tilting lever for the transverse motion. The slider can be moved, relative to the rotor, along rails, either radially and directly at the rotor, or tangentially to the pivot point of the rotor.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 11, 2008Publication date: July 15, 2010Applicant: ZF FRIEDRICHSHAFEN AGInventors: Thomas Schober, Thomas Deichler, Hans-Ludwig Gotz
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Patent number: 7443159Abstract: An inductive sensor for detecting the position of a vehicle seat or for a gate shifting unit of an automatic transmission is described. The inductive sensor unit has a plurality of sensor coils that are disposed in planar fashion on a printed circuit board A conductive actuation element is guided, spaced apart, in a path over the sensor coils and an electrical evaluation circuit detects changes in inductance of the sensor coils in accordance with the path position of the actuation element and converts the changes into electrical signals corresponding to seat position signals on gear shifting signals. The actuation element is guided along the sensor coils with conductive bottom faces that are staggered in the direction of the path.Type: GrantFiled: November 17, 2005Date of Patent: October 28, 2008Assignee: Cherry GmbHInventors: Josef Habenschaden, Hans-Ludwig Götz, Thomas Luber
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Patent number: 7161348Abstract: An inductive sensor unit for detecting the position of a vehicle seat or for a gate-shifting unit of an automatic transmission, is described. The inductive sensor unit has a plurality of sensor coils that are disposed in planar fashion on a printed circuit board. A conductive actuation element which is guided, spaced apart, on a path over the sensor coils, and an electrical evaluation circuit detects changes in inductance of the sensor coils in accordance with a path position of the actuation element and converts the changes into electrical signals, corresponding to seat position signals or gear shifting signals. The conductive actuation element is guided, spaced apart on both sides, over the sensor coils, and in one aspect of the invention, the electrical evaluation circuit detects the inductances of all the sensor coils (L1, . . . , Li) and converts them by means of an algorithm into a current path position of the actuation element.Type: GrantFiled: September 30, 2005Date of Patent: January 9, 2007Inventors: Thomas Luber, Hans-Ludwig Gotz
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Publication number: 20060290346Abstract: An inductive sensor for detecting the position of a vehicle seat or for a gate shifting unit of an automatic transmission is described. The inductive sensor unit has a plurality of sensor coils that are disposed in planar fashion on a printed circuit board A conductive actuation element is guided, spaced apart, in a path over the sensor coils and an electrical evaluation circuit detects changes in inductance of the sensor coils in accordance with the path position of the actuation element and converts the changes into electrical signals corresponding to seat position signals on gear shifting signals. The actuation element is guided along the sensor coils with conductive bottom faces that are staggered in the direction of the path.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 17, 2005Publication date: December 28, 2006Applicant: Cherry GmbHInventors: Josef Habenschaden, Hans-Ludwig Gotz, Thomas Luber
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Publication number: 20060132120Abstract: An inductive sensor unit for detecting the position of a vehicle seat or for a gate-shifting unit of an automatic transmission, is described. The inductive sensor unit has a plurality of sensor coils that are disposed in planar fashion on a printed circuit board. A conductive actuation element which is guided, spaced apart, on a path over the sensor coils, and an electrical evaluation circuit which detects changes in inductance of the sensor coils in accordance with a path position of the actuation element and converts the changes into electrical signals, corresponding to seat position signals or gear shifting signals. The conductive actuation element is guided, spaced apart on both sides, over the sensor coils, and in one aspect of the invention, the electrical evaluation circuit detects the inductances of all the sensor coils (L1, . . . , Li) and converts them by means of an algorithm into a current path position of the actuation element.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 30, 2005Publication date: June 22, 2006Inventors: Thomas Luber, Hans-Ludwig Gotz