Patents by Inventor Ingo Alfter

Ingo Alfter 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: 11312343
    Abstract: The invention relates to a motor vehicle control unit. The control unit comprises a first processor system, which is designed to control an actuator of an electric parking brake and at least one additional motor vehicle function unit. A second processor system of the control unit is designed to control the at least one actuator in an at least partially redundant manner to the first processor system. Furthermore, there is a changeover device, which is designed to enable an activation of the at least one actuator either via the first processor system or the second processor system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: ZF Active Safety GmbH
    Inventors: Ingo Alfter, Stefan Grieser-Schmitz
  • Publication number: 20190344762
    Abstract: The invention relates to a motor vehicle control unit. The control unit comprises a first processor system, which is designed to control an actuator of an electric parking brake and at least one additional motor vehicle function unit. A second processor system of the control unit is designed to control the at least one actuator in an at least partially redundant manner to the first processor system. Furthermore, there is a changeover device, which is designed to enable an activation of the at least one actuator either via the first processor system or the second processor system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 12, 2017
    Publication date: November 14, 2019
    Applicant: Lucas Automotive GmbH
    Inventors: Ingo Alfter, Stefan Grieser-Schmitz
  • Patent number: 7520573
    Abstract: The output of a wheel speed sensor is sampled at dithered time intervals and the samples used to construct a pair of histograms representing high and low sample values. A minimum voltage threshold is determined as a function of the output voltage associated with the dominate histogram value for the low sample values. The output voltage associated with the dominant histogram value for the high sample values is compared to the minimum voltage threshold to determine whether a potential sensor wiring problem is developing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2009
    Assignee: Kelsey-Hayes Company
    Inventors: Scott E. Carpenter, Richard L. Gillespie, Eugen Goebel, Ingo Alfter
  • Patent number: 7248991
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method and an apparatus for measuring a rotational speed, in particular a rotational speed of a wheel of a motor vehicle, by means of a speed sensor, wherein the speed sensor produces an output signal characterizing the actual rotational speed and wherein the output signal of the speed sensor is sampled and further processed in accordance with sampled values thus obtained. For an—in hardware terms—simple realization, according to the invention it is provided that the output signal is sampled at a predetermined sampling rate over at least one measuring cycle, that in each case the amplitude of sampled values obtained in the measuring cycle is determined and that from the rate of occurrence of sampled values of an amplitude lying within a predetermined amplitude range at least one signal level occurring during the measuring cycle in the output signal is determined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2007
    Assignee: Lucas Automotive GmbH
    Inventors: Eugen Goebel, Manfred Fuss, Ingo Alfter
  • Publication number: 20060064274
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method and an apparatus for measuring a rotational speed, in particular a rotational speed of a wheel of a motor vehicle, by means of a speed sensor, wherein the speed sensor produces an output signal characterizing the actual rotational speed and wherein the output signal of the speed sensor is sampled and further processed in accordance with sampled values thus obtained. For an—in hardware terms—simple realization, according to the invention it is provided that the output signal is sampled at a predetermined sampling rate over at least one measuring cycle, that in each case the amplitude of sampled values obtained in the measuring cycle is determined and that from the rate of occurrence of sampled values of an amplitude lying within a predetermined amplitude range at least one signal level occurring during the measuring cycle in the output signal is determined.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 19, 2005
    Publication date: March 23, 2006
    Inventors: Eugen Goebel, Manfred Fuss, Ingo Alfter