Patents by Inventor Klaus-Dieter Grebner

Klaus-Dieter Grebner 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: 9386649
    Abstract: The brightness generated by LEDs in an LED strip is adjusted by pulse-width modulation, wherein the LEDs connected in series are driven temporally offset to one another. If there is a shift in the on-time of at least one LED, a controller inserts at least one additional drive pulse to switch on the LEDs if the interval of the on-times of an LED in the time frame before the shift and in the drive frame after the shift is so large that the interval arising therefrom exceeds a first threshold. Alternatively, the controller reduces at least one drive pulse for switching on the LEDs to curtail the on-time of the LEDs if the interval of the on-times of an LED in the time frame before the shift and in the time frame after the shift is so small that the interval arising therefrom drops below a second threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2016
    Assignee: Lear Corporation
    Inventors: Michael Reier, Klaus-Dieter Grebner
  • Patent number: 8994278
    Abstract: A device serves to control an electrical load of at least two single loads connected in series. Each of the at least two single loads is connected in parallel to a controllable switch, so that each of the at least two single loads can be switched independently of one another. In addition, a driver stage that drives a current into the electrical load is present. The controllable switches can be controlled by the control unit. A dummy load is connected in series to the at least two single loads.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Lear Corporation GmbH
    Inventors: Klaus-Dieter Grebner, Michael Reier
  • Patent number: 8664869
    Abstract: A method for controlling an electrical load of at least two single loads includes activating and deactivating the single loads in switching cycles of predefined duration sequentially following one another. In one switching cycle, the single loads are activated and deactivated alternately with respect to one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: Lear Corporation GmbH
    Inventors: Klaus-Dieter Grebner, Michael Reier
  • Patent number: 8513896
    Abstract: A method for control and discharge control of an electrical load, in which the control and discharge occurs by means of a control frame and a discharge frame, and in which one control frame and one discharge frame represent one switching cycle for the electrical load. A plurality of switching cycles are arranged following one another, wherein a controllable switch is connected in parallel to each point load so that each point load can be switched independently of the other point load during the switching cycle. A control unit monitors the electrical current flowing in the electrical load, and the control unit uses an actual/setpoint comparison to control the current to an adjustable setpoint so that a current that is as constant as possible flows into the electrical load. The controllable switches switch on the point loads during the control frame of a switching cycle, and the controllable switches switch off the point loads during the discharge frame of a switching cycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2013
    Assignee: Lear Corporation GmbH
    Inventor: Klaus-Dieter Grebner
  • Patent number: 8358116
    Abstract: A DC/DC converter converts an input DC voltage into an output DC voltage. The DC/DC converter includes an input capacitor, an inductor, an electronic switch, a diode, an output capacitor and a control unit, wherein the control unit controls the first electronic switch as a function of the signals fed to the control unit. The input capacitor is connected between the input voltage and ground or zero point, and the inductor is connected between the input capacitor and the electronic switch. A second electronic switch, which the control unit can drive by means of a switching signal, is disposed between the load and the ground or zero point, and a second diode embodies a connection between the output of the load and the input capacitor. The control unit is fed the value of the input voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2013
    Assignee: Lear Corporation GmbH
    Inventor: Klaus-Dieter Grebner
  • Publication number: 20120139428
    Abstract: A device serves to control an electrical load of at least two single loads connected in series. Each of the at least two single loads is connected in parallel to a controllable switch, so that each of the at least two single loads can be switched independently of one another. In addition, a driver stage that drives a current into the electrical load is present. The controllable switches can be controlled by the control unit. A dummy load is connected in series to the at least two single loads.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 10, 2011
    Publication date: June 7, 2012
    Applicant: LEAR CORPORATION GMBH
    Inventors: Klaus-Dieter Grebner, Michael Reier
  • Publication number: 20110285317
    Abstract: A method for control and discharge control of an electrical load, in which the control and discharge occurs by means of a control frame and a discharge frame, and in which one control frame and one discharge frame represent one switching cycle for the electrical load. A plurality of switching cycles are arranged following one another, wherein a controllable switch is connected in parallel to each point load so that each point load can be switched independently of the other point load during the switching cycle. A control unit monitors the electrical current flowing in the electrical load, and the control unit uses an actual/setpoint comparison to control the current to an adjustable setpoint so that a current that is as constant as possible flows into the electrical load. The controllable switches switch on the point loads during the control frame of a switching cycle, and the controllable switches switch off the point loads during the discharge frame of a switching cycle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 24, 2010
    Publication date: November 24, 2011
    Inventor: KLAUS-DIETER GREBNER
  • Publication number: 20110221352
    Abstract: A method for controlling an electrical load of at least two single loads includes activating and deactivating the single loads in switching cycles of predefined duration sequentially following one another. In one switching cycle, the single loads are activated and deactivated alternately with respect to one another.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 10, 2011
    Publication date: September 15, 2011
    Applicant: LEAR CORPORATION GMBH
    Inventors: Klaus-Dieter Grebner, Michael Reier
  • Publication number: 20110089843
    Abstract: A DC/DC converter converts an input DC voltage into an output DC voltage. The DC/DC converter includes an input capacitor, an inductor, an electronic switch, a diode, an output capacitor and a control unit, wherein the control unit controls the first electronic switch as a function of the signals fed to the control unit. The input capacitor is connected between the input voltage and ground or zero point, and the inductor is connected between the input capacitor and the electronic switch. A second electronic switch, which the control unit can drive by means of a switching signal, is disposed between the load and the ground or zero point, and a second diode embodies a connection between the output of the load and the input capacitor. The control unit is fed the value of the input voltage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 24, 2010
    Publication date: April 21, 2011
    Inventors: Oliver Krapp, Klaus-Dieter Grebner
  • Patent number: 7834756
    Abstract: A method and system for assessing or otherwise determining defective operation of an electronic control unit (ECU). The ECU may be a vehicle or non-vehicle ECU having any number of modules configured to provide and/or support any number of operations. The defective ECU operations may be determined as a function of a voltage drop across a shunt included on the ECU.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2010
    Assignee: Lear Corporation GmbH
    Inventors: Klaus-Dieter Grebner, Volker Marr
  • Publication number: 20080238707
    Abstract: A method and system for assessing or otherwise determining defective operation of an electronic control unit (ECU). The ECU may be a vehicle or non-vehicle ECU having any number of modules configured to provide and/or support any number of operations. The defective ECU operations may be determined as a function of a voltage drop across a shunt included on the ECU.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 19, 2008
    Publication date: October 2, 2008
    Applicant: LEAR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Klaus-Dieter Grebner, Volker Marr
  • Publication number: 20080204053
    Abstract: A control circuit includes a clock pulse generator operable to output a pulse-frequency ratio to a constant voltage source in order to control the power output of the constant voltage source. The control circuit further includes a driver circuit for the clocked control of at least one light emitting diode (LED) to which a measurement resistor is connected in parallel. The LED is supplied with power by the constant voltage source. The LED is turned on when the power is greater than a forward power level and is turned off when the power is less than the forward power level. The driver circuit taps a measurement voltage of the measurement resistor while the LED is supplied with power less than the forward power level. The clock pulse generator varies the pulse-frequency ratio as a function of the measurement voltage of the measurement resistor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2008
    Publication date: August 28, 2008
    Applicant: LEAR CORPORATION
    Inventor: Klaus-Dieter Grebner