Patents by Inventor Jens Kastens

Jens Kastens 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: 20240354664
    Abstract: A method for assigning an electric vehicle (20, 22, 24) to a user includes: receiving a request from the user via a receiving device stating that the user needs an electric vehicle (20, 22, 24), the request including usage information regarding the planned use of the electric vehicle (20, 22, 24); determining a target state of charge of a battery (22) of at least one available electric vehicle (20, 22, 24) depending on the usage information; determining an actual state of charge of the battery (22) of the electric vehicle (20, 22, 24); and assigning the electric vehicle (20, 22, 24) to the user when the determined actual state of charge is greater than or equal to the determined target state of charge.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 4, 2022
    Publication date: October 24, 2024
    Inventors: Alma Pröbstl, Jens Kastens, Nicolas Blum
  • Publication number: 20240239355
    Abstract: A method for determining a vehicle configuration (24) adapted to driving behavior of a person includes: determining a driving profile (20) of the person, wherein the driving profile (20) includes a speed profile and/or an acceleration profile of a vehicle (10) controlled by the person; determining category values (28) for the driving profile (20) for a plurality of vehicle configurations (24), wherein the category values (28) include one or both of an energy consumption and CO2 emissions of the particular vehicle configuration (24), wherein the energy consumption and/or the CO2 emissions are/is calculated from the speed profile and/or the acceleration profile; and determining an optimal vehicle configuration (24) by ascertaining vehicle configuration values (30) for each vehicle configuration (24) by weighting the category values (28) for each vehicle configuration (24) and selecting an optimal vehicle configuration value (30).
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 13, 2022
    Publication date: July 18, 2024
    Inventors: Jens Kastens, Heidi Rathgeb, Alexander Graf, Nicolas Blum, Andrea Agostinelli, Dominic Schmidt
  • Patent number: 11345332
    Abstract: A method for operating a hybrid vehicle having a prime mover including an internal combustion engine and an electric machine, the vehicle further having a transmission connected between the prime mover and a driven end and including multiple shift elements, the vehicle further having a separating clutch connected between the internal combustion engine and the electric machine, and a starting component which is provided by a separate launch clutch or by a shift element of the transmission. The method includes monitoring a rotational speed of one of the internal combustion engine, the electric machine, the transmission, or the driven end during travel with the internal combustion engine running and the separating clutch engaged. The method further includes determining an increase in driving resistance, and decoupling the internal combustion engine when the monitored rotational speed falls below or reaches a first limiting value by disengaging the separating clutch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: ZF FRIEDRICHSHAFEN AG
    Inventors: Frank Deprez, Holger Bacher, Jens Kastens
  • Patent number: 11280378
    Abstract: A method for operating a drive train of a motor vehicle with a prime mover (1) including an internal combustion engine (2) and an electric machine (3), a separating clutch (6) connected between the internal combustion engine and the electric machine, and a transmission (5) connected between the prime mover (1) and a driven end (4) is provided. When at least one first operating condition is present, a previously decoupled internal combustion engine (2) is coupled such that the separating clutch (6) is actuated to engage. When at least one second operating condition is present, the coupling of the internal combustion engine is aborted, and an absolute value of a torque currently transmitted or currently transmittable by the separating clutch (6) is determined. The separating clutch (6) is disengaged at different rates depending on the absolute value of the torque currently transmitted or currently transmittable by the separating clutch (6).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignee: ZF FRIEDRICHSHAFEN AG
    Inventors: Jens Kastens, Frank Deprez
  • Publication number: 20200370610
    Abstract: A method for operating a drive train of a motor vehicle with a prime mover (1) including an internal combustion engine (2) and an electric machine (3), a separating clutch (6) connected between the internal combustion engine and the electric machine, and a transmission (5) connected between the prime mover (1) and a driven end (4) is provided. When at least one first operating condition is present, a previously decoupled internal combustion engine (2) is coupled such that the separating clutch (6) is actuated to engage. When at least one second operating condition is present, the coupling of the internal combustion engine is aborted, and an absolute value of a torque currently transmitted or currently transmittable by the separating clutch (6) is determined. The separating clutch (6) is disengaged at different rates depending on the absolute value of the torque currently transmitted or currently transmittable by the separating clutch (6).
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 22, 2020
    Publication date: November 26, 2020
    Inventors: Jens Kastens, Frank Deprez
  • Publication number: 20200231140
    Abstract: A method for operating a hybrid vehicle includes monitoring, a rotational speed of an internal combustion engine (2) or a rotational speed of an electric machine (3) or a rotational speed of a transmission (4) or a rotational speed of a driven end (5) during travel with the internal combustion engine (2) running and the separating clutch (7) engaged in order to determine an increase in driving resistance. The method also includes, when the monitored rotational speed falls below or reaches a first limiting value, partially disengaging the separating clutch (7) toward a disengagement position in which a torque transmitted by the separating clutch (7) is adjusted such that an idling speed governor of the internal combustion engine (2) accelerates the rotational speed of the internal combustion engine toward the idling speed of the internal combustion engine (2).
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 16, 2020
    Publication date: July 23, 2020
    Inventors: Frank Deprez, Jens Kastens
  • Publication number: 20190344781
    Abstract: A method for operating a hybrid vehicle having a prime mover including an internal combustion engine and an electric machine, the vehicle further having a transmission connected between the prime mover and a driven end and including multiple shift elements, the vehicle further having a separating clutch connected between the internal combustion engine and the electric machine, and a starting component which is provided by a separate launch clutch or by a shift element of the transmission. The method includes monitoring a rotational speed of one of the internal combustion engine, the electric machine, the transmission, or the driven end during travel with the internal combustion engine running and the separating clutch engaged. The method further includes determining an increase in driving resistance, and decoupling the internal combustion engine when the monitored rotational speed falls below or reaches a first limiting value by disengaging the separating clutch.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 6, 2019
    Publication date: November 14, 2019
    Inventors: Frank Deprez, Holger Bacher, Jens Kastens
  • Publication number: 20190315337
    Abstract: A method for operating a drive train includes determining target torques for prime movers (1, 2) at least depending on a driver-demanded output torque. When a form-locking shift element (9) is disengaged for a gearchange, the shift element (9) to be disengaged is relieved of load, via an actuation of the prime movers depending on the target torques. The shift element (9) to be disengaged is already actuated with a defined actuating pressure in the direction of disengagement before a theoretical relief from load depending on the target torques, and monitoring determines whether and at which actual torques the shift element (9) to be disengaged begins to move. The actual torques of the prime movers (1, 2), at which the shift element (9) to be disengaged begins to move, are determined as actual torques at which the shift element (9) to be disengaged is actually relieved of load.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 15, 2019
    Publication date: October 17, 2019
    Inventors: Anatol Weidenbach, Jens Kastens, Matthias Arzner