Patents by Inventor Manuel Blum

Manuel Blum 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: 10696169
    Abstract: A charging station for an electrically powered vehicle has a connection for an electrical energy source, an inverter and an electronic coil connected to the inverter for wireless energy-transferring coupling of the electrically powered vehicle. The inverter is configured to apply an alternating electric voltage to the electronic coil in resonant operation. The electronic coil is connected to the inverter by way of a compensating circuit with a settable passive electronic energy storage device. The compensating circuit is configured to set a frequency of the alternating voltage by means of the settable passive electronic energy storage device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2020
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Manuel Blum, Thomas Komma, Mirjam Mantel, Monika Poebl
  • Patent number: 10418893
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to electrical converters. The teachings thereof may be embodied in a circuit assembly for an electrical converter. For example, a circuit assembly for an electrical converter may include a set of switching units, each switching unit comprising a semiconductor switch and a gate driver circuit for controlling the semiconductor switch. The respective semiconductor switch and gate driver circuit of each switching unit are arranged on a common carrier circuit board and are electrically connected to one another by a printed conductor on the carrier circuit board.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2019
    Assignee: SIEMENS AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventors: Manuel Blum, Walter Kiffe, Thomas Komma, Monika Poebl, Michael Finkenzeller
  • Patent number: 10396685
    Abstract: Some embodiments may include a multi-stage converter comprising: a branch connected between a positive busbar and a negative busbar; and a control device. The branch has two arms connected in series. The arms each comprise a series circuit including a plurality of two-pole submodules, an energy store, and a communication connection to the control device. The communication connection transmits state of charge of the energy store and a switching instruction for the respective submodule. For at least a subset of the submodules, the communication connection comprises a common communication connection with a plurality of insulation paths having an insulation capability in each case of at most 5 kV.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2019
    Assignee: SIEMENS AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventors: Manuel Blum, Marek Galek, Alexander Hofmann, Dirk Malipaard, Benjamin Ruccius
  • Patent number: 10232721
    Abstract: A circuit arrangement for detecting a zero crossing of an alternating current is provided. The circuit arrangement includes a load through which the alternating current can flow, and an evaluation unit connected to the load and configured to evaluate an electrical voltage formed at the load, and to determining zero currents. The load comprises a capacitor through which the alternating current or a current to be measured derived therefrom can flow, and the evaluation unit is configured to account for a phase shift caused by the capacitor for determining the zero currents.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: SIEMENS AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventors: Manuel Blum, Thomas Komma, Mirjam Mantel, Monika Poebl
  • Publication number: 20190081573
    Abstract: Some embodiments may include a multi-stage converter comprising: a branch connected between a positive busbar and a negative busbar; and a control device. The branch has two arms connected in series. The arms each comprise a series circuit including a plurality of two-pole submodules, an energy store, and a communication connection to the control device. The communication connection transmits state of charge of the energy store and a switching instruction for the respective submodule. For at least a subset of the submodules, the communication connection comprises a common communication connection with a plurality of insulation paths having an insulation capability in each case of at most 5 kV.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 20, 2017
    Publication date: March 14, 2019
    Applicant: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Manuel Blum, Marek Galek, Alexander Hofmann, Dirk Malipaard, Benjamin Ruccius
  • Patent number: 10218257
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to electric converters. The teachings thereof may be embodied in an electric converter to transfer an electric power of more than 3 kilowatts comprising a half-bridge with at least two parallel circuits. Each of the parallel circuits includes a plurality of semiconductor switches. Each of the parallel circuits includes at least two base circuits arranged next to one another on a common printed circuit board. Each of the respective base circuits includes one of the plurality of semiconductor switches and a gate driver circuit for the semiconductor switch. Each gate driver circuit is electrically connected to a gate of the semiconductor switch by a control line. In each of the parallel circuits, a shortest control line and a longest control line differ from one another with respect to length by no more than the factor of 1.5.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2019
    Assignee: SIEMENS AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventors: Manuel Blum, Walter Kiffe, Thomas Komma, Monika Poebl
  • Publication number: 20180166968
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to electrical converters. The teachings thereof may be embodied in a circuit assembly for an electrical converter. For example, a circuit assembly for an electrical converter may include a set of switching units, each switching unit comprising a semiconductor switch and a gate driver circuit for controlling the semiconductor switch. The respective semiconductor switch and gate driver circuit of each switching unit are arranged on a common carrier circuit board and are electrically connected to one another by a printed conductor on the carrier circuit board.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 8, 2016
    Publication date: June 14, 2018
    Applicant: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Manuel Blum, Walter Kiffe, Thomas Komma, Monika Poebl, Michael Finkenzeller
  • Patent number: 9991046
    Abstract: An energy intake apparatus for a motor vehicle can be operated electrically, with an induction coil, which is configured to charge an energy storage unit of the motor vehicle. The energy intake apparatus contains a shield apparatus, by which the induction coil can be shielded from the motor vehicle. The shield apparatus has at least one first shield component separating the induction coil from the motor vehicle in the transverse vehicle direction and/or in the longitudinal vehicle direction and at least one second shield component separating the induction coil from the motor vehicle upward in the vertical vehicle direction. The second shield component being connected to the first shield component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2018
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Manuel Blum, Thomas Komma, Monika Poebl
  • Publication number: 20180152094
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to electric converters. The teachings thereof may be embodied in an electric converter to transfer an electric power of more than 3 kilowatts comprising a half-bridge with at least two parallel circuits. Each of the parallel circuits includes a plurality of semiconductor switches. Each of the parallel circuits includes at least two base circuits arranged next to one another on a common printed circuit board. Each of the respective base circuits includes one of the plurality of semiconductor switches and a gate driver circuit for the semiconductor switch. Each gate driver circuit is electrically connected to a gate of the semiconductor switch by a control line. In each of the parallel circuits, a shortest control line and a longest control line differ from one another with respect to length by no more than the factor of 1.5.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 8, 2016
    Publication date: May 31, 2018
    Applicant: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Manuel Blum, Walter Kiffe, Thomas Komma, Monika Poebl
  • Patent number: 9855851
    Abstract: An electrically powered vehicle has a drive apparatus which includes an electric machine and an electrical energy storage device connected to the electric machine. A charging device is connected to the electrical energy storage device for the wireless transfer of energy by way of an alternating magnetic field. For that purpose, the charging device has an electronic coil which interacts with the alternating magnetic field. The electronic coil is connected to an adjustable compensating circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Manuel Blum, Thomas Komma, Mirjam Mantel, Monika Poebl
  • Publication number: 20170291495
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to tuning oscillatory systems. The teachings thereof may be embodied in a device having an adjustable capacitance value for tuning a first oscillatory system, connectable to a second oscillatory system having an unknown and weak coupling factor. The device may include: a first capacitor having a capacitance dependent upon a voltage; and a DC voltage source having a variable voltage applied to associated terminals; a series-connected arrangement of the DC voltage source and a decoupling element connected in parallel with terminals of the capacitor, to apply a variable bias voltage to the first capacitor. The voltage applied to the terminals of the DC voltage source may depend at least in part on a working frequency of the first oscillatory system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 15, 2015
    Publication date: October 12, 2017
    Applicant: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Manuel Blum, Thomas Komma, Mirjam Mantel, Monika Poebl
  • Patent number: 9600648
    Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for controlling access to computer systems and for annotating media files. One embodiment includes a method including generating a challenge to a user, wherein the challenge includes a verify part and a read part. The methods also includes prompting the user to solve both the verify part of the challenge and the read part of the challenge; receiving input from the user; determining if the input from the user relative to the verify part of the challenge corresponds with the known answer for the verify part of the challenge; and identifying the input from the user relative to the read part of the challenge as an answer to the read part of the challenge, if the input from the user relative to the verify part of the challenge corresponds with the known answer for the verify part of the challenge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: Carnegie Mellon University
    Inventors: Luis Von Ahn, Manuel Blum, Benjamin D. Maurer
  • Publication number: 20160229300
    Abstract: A circuit arrangement for detecting a zero crossing of an alternating current is provided. The circuit arrangement includes a load through which the alternating current can flow, and an evaluation unit connected to the load and configured to evaluate an electrical voltage formed at the load, and to determining zero currents. The load comprises a capacitor through which the alternating current or a current to be measured derived therefrom can flow, and the evaluation unit is configured to account for a phase shift caused by the capacitor for determining the zero currents.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 15, 2014
    Publication date: August 11, 2016
    Applicant: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Manuel Blum, Thomas Komma, Mirjam Mantel, Monika Poebl
  • Publication number: 20150262750
    Abstract: An energy intake apparatus for a motor vehicle can be operated electrically, with an induction coil, which is configured to charge an energy storage unit of the motor vehicle. The energy intake apparatus contains a shield apparatus, by which the induction coil can be shielded from the motor vehicle. The shield apparatus has at least one first shield component separating the induction coil from the motor vehicle in the transverse vehicle direction and/or in the longitudinal vehicle direction and at least one second shield component separating the induction coil from the motor vehicle upward in the vertical vehicle direction. The second shield component being connected to the first shield component.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2015
    Publication date: September 17, 2015
    Inventors: MANUEL BLUM, THOMAS KOMMA, MONIKA POEBL
  • Publication number: 20150170814
    Abstract: A ferrite configuration for guiding a magnetic flux has at least two prismatically configured ferrite segments which form a cross-sectional area, perpendicular to a direction of the magnetic flux to be guided, for the magnetic flux to be guided and which are arranged adjacent to one another in such a manner that two surfaces of the adjacently arranged ferrite segments face one another perpendicular to the direction of the magnetic flux to be guided and form an air gap such that an air gap length is formed within the ferrite configuration in the direction of the magnetic flux. The ferrite segments are arranged in such a manner that the air gap lengths at any location of the cross-sectional area is of equal length across the cross-sectional area of the ferrite configuration.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2014
    Publication date: June 18, 2015
    Inventors: MANUEL BLUM, THOMAS KOMMA, MONIKA POEBL
  • Publication number: 20150091517
    Abstract: A charging station for wireless energy-transfer coupling of an electrically powered vehicle has a terminal for an electrical energy source and an electronic coil that generates an alternating magnetic field. The electronic coil has a cylindrical winding and a ferromagnetic body. A front face of the winding abuts against the ferromagnetic body in order to couple the alternating magnetic field issuing from the winding via the front face into the ferromagnetic body. The winding has a first winding and a second winding which are arranged next to one another and with their front faces abutting against the ferromagnetic body. The two windings generate an opposing alternating magnetic field. A space encompassed by the first and second windings respectively contains a ferromagnetic material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2014
    Publication date: April 2, 2015
    Inventors: MANUEL BLUM, THOMAS KOMMA, MIRJAM MANTEL, MONIKA POEBL
  • Publication number: 20150091520
    Abstract: An electrically powered vehicle has a drive apparatus which includes an electric machine and an electrical energy storage device connected to the electric machine. A charging device is connected to the electrical energy storage device for the wireless transfer of energy by way of an alternating magnetic field. For that purpose, the charging device has an electronic coil which interacts with the alternating magnetic field. The electronic coil is connected to an adjustable compensating circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2014
    Publication date: April 2, 2015
    Inventors: MANUEL BLUM, THOMAS KOMMA, MIRJAM MANTEL, MONIKA POEBL
  • Publication number: 20150091516
    Abstract: A charging station for an electrically powered vehicle has a connection for an electrical energy source, an inverter and an electronic coil connected to the inverter for wireless energy-transferring coupling of the electrically powered vehicle. The inverter is configured to apply an alternating electric voltage to the electronic coil in resonant operation. The electronic coil is connected to the inverter by way of a compensating circuit with a settable passive electronic energy storage device. The compensating circuit is configured to set a frequency of the alternating voltage by means of the settable passive electronic energy storage device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2014
    Publication date: April 2, 2015
    Inventors: MANUEL BLUM, THOMAS KOMMA, MIRJAM MANTEL, MONIKA POEBL
  • Publication number: 20150091515
    Abstract: The invention relates to a circuit arrangement for a wireless energy-transferring coupling by means of an alternating magnetic field, having a coil circuit with at least one electronic coil for providing the wireless energy-transferring coupling with an external coil circuit and a converter which can be connected to an electrical energy source and/or an electrical energy sink for supplying the coil circuit with electrical energy from the electrical energy source or for conducting away electrical energy from the coil circuit to the electrical energy sink, wherein the coil circuit is connected to the converter. With the invention, it is proposed that a winding of the electronic coil is dimensioned, with regard to the geometry and winding count thereof, such that a broadest possible range can be achieved for a compensation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2014
    Publication date: April 2, 2015
    Inventors: MANUEL BLUM, THOMAS KOMMA, MIRJAM MANTEL, MONIKA POEBL
  • Publication number: 20150091521
    Abstract: A charging station transfers energy to an electrically powered vehicle which is wirelessly power-coupled to the charging station. The station has terminal for an electrical energy source, an inverter and an electronic coil connected to the inverter for providing energy for the wireless energy-transferring coupling by way of an alternating magnetic field. For that purpose the inverter is configured to apply an alternating electric voltage to the electronic coil in a resonance mode. The charging station has a detection unit and a control unit, the detection unit detects a malfunction relating to the transfer of energy during the wireless energy-transferring coupling of the electrically powered vehicle and to provide a fault signal. The control unit terminates the transfer of energy by way of the alternating magnetic field on the basis of the malfunction signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2014
    Publication date: April 2, 2015
    Inventors: MANUEL BLUM, THOMAS KOMMA, MIRJAM MANTEL, MONIKA POEBL