Patents by Inventor Michael Schumann

Michael Schumann 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: 20210018621
    Abstract: An ultrasonic sensor system for detecting objects in the environment of a vehicle is provided, which has a first group of ultrasonic sensors and a second group of ultrasonic sensors. The ultrasonic sensors of the first group each have a first installation height on the vehicle, the ultrasonic sensors of the second group of ultrasonic sensors each have a second installation height on the vehicle, the first installation height being greater than the second installation height. The ultrasonic sensors of the first group have a greater sensitivity for the detection of objects than the ultrasonic sensors of the second group.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 3, 2019
    Publication date: January 21, 2021
    Inventors: Burkhard Iske, Michael Schumann, Peter Preissler, Sebastian Olbrich
  • Patent number: 10893588
    Abstract: A method of operating a lighting device with a light-emitting component, in which the light-emitting component includes a plurality of pixels configured to illuminate a plurality of zones in a field of view, the light-emitting component includes a processing device including characterization data of the light-emitting component, and the pixels of the light-emitting component are operated as a function of the characterization data, wherein to determine characterization data prior to intended operation of the lighting device an intensity and/or a color location of the emitted light of a pixel or of each pixel is measured as a function of an operating current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2021
    Assignee: OSRAM OLED GmbH
    Inventors: Dominik Schulten, Michael Schumann, Dominik Scholz
  • Publication number: 20200371219
    Abstract: A method for monitoring the function of ultrasonic sensors of a vehicle, an ultrasonic sensor of the vehicle emitting ultrasonic signals and receiving back reflected ultrasonic echoes. An instantaneous amplitude of a ground echo received by an ultrasonic sensor and an instantaneous vehicle position are determined. A reference threshold value or information regarding an expected ground echo amplitude is retrieved from a digital map as a function of the instantaneous vehicle position, the digital map being provided by a central unit. The instantaneous amplitude of the received ground echo is compared with a threshold value, a malfunction of the ultrasonic sensors being deduced if the threshold value is undershot and the threshold value being predefined by the reference threshold value or the threshold value being determined based on the information regarding an expected ground echo amplitude.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 4, 2019
    Publication date: November 26, 2020
    Inventors: Albrecht Klotz, Andras Roka, Michael Schumann, Nandor Podmaniczky
  • Patent number: 10838060
    Abstract: A method for detecting at least one object between primary and secondary coils of a vehicle's inductive-charging-device. A first ultrasonic signal (FUS) is emitted with a first ultrasonic-transmitter (UT) situated at the primary-coil. A FUS-sequence is received with a first ultrasonic-receiver (FUR) at the vehicle. The FUS-sequence includes at least one first direct-receive signal. Alternatively/in addition, the FUS sequence includes additional receive signals, each of which corresponds to an indirect transmission of the ultrasonic-signal from the at least one UT to the FUR. The first direct receive signal is ascertained within the FUS-sequence and/or additional receive signals are ascertained within the FUS-sequence. The first received ultrasonic-signal-sequence, which includes the ascertained direct-receive-signal and/or ascertained additional receive signals is compared to a first reference-ultrasonic-signal-sequence.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventor: Michael Schumann
  • Publication number: 20200339129
    Abstract: A method for detecting a road condition in the area of a vehicle using sensor data from an acoustic sensor system of the vehicle. A detection rate of false positive objects reproduced in the sensor data is analyzed in an analysis step in order to detect a current road condition, a current value of the detection rate being analyzed using at least one expected value assigned to a road condition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 4, 2018
    Publication date: October 29, 2020
    Inventors: Simon Weissenmayer, Timo Koenig, Michael Schumann
  • Publication number: 20200341129
    Abstract: A method for detecting a ground echo signal of an ultrasonic sensor of a vehicle. The ultrasonic sensor emits a signal at a first frequency or having a first frequency profile, the signal is reflected by a roadway surface and the reflected signal is received by the ultrasonic sensor and/or by an additional ultrasonic sensor. The received echo signal is filtered with the aid of a matched filter, the matched filter being adapted to the emitted signal and having a characterizing frequency. In this way a ground echo signal is determined from the filtered signal. The instantaneous vehicle speed is determined and an expected Doppler shift of the reflected signal is determined as a function of the instantaneous vehicle speed. The first frequency or the first frequency profile and/or the characterizing frequency of the matched filter is/are adapted as a function of the Doppler shift to be expected.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 4, 2019
    Publication date: October 29, 2020
    Inventors: Michael Schumann, Simon Weissenmayer, Timo Koenig
  • Publication number: 20200284323
    Abstract: A powershift transmission for an agricultural machine includes a transmission housing, an input shaft unit and an output shaft, wherein the input shaft unit and the output shaft extend at least at a distance within the transmission housing. An auxiliary shaft is arranged within the housing parallel to but offset between the input shaft unit and the output shaft. The input shaft unit and the auxiliary shaft are connected to one another via a front-mounted range unit, and the auxiliary shaft and the output shaft are connected to one another via a rear-mounted range unit. The front-mounted and rear mounted range units each includes at least two gear wheel pairs. The input shaft unit is formed from a main input shaft and an auxiliary input shaft.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 3, 2020
    Publication date: September 10, 2020
    Inventors: DAVID MÜLLER, RAINER GUGEL, FRANK BUHRKE, MICHAEL SCHUMANN
  • Publication number: 20200284322
    Abstract: A powershift transmission for an agricultural machine includes a transmission housing, an input shaft unit and an output shaft, wherein the input shaft unit and the output shaft extend at least in sections within the transmission housing. An auxiliary shaft is arranged parallel to but offset between the input shaft unit and the output shaft. The input shaft unit and the auxiliary shaft are connected to one another via a front-mounted range unit, and the auxiliary shaft and the output shaft are connected to one another via a rear-mounted range unit. The front-mounted and rear mounted range units each includes at least two gear wheel pairs, the at least two gear wheel pairs being individually coupled or decoupled. The auxiliary shaft unit includes a first auxiliary shaft and a second auxiliary shaft, where the first and second auxiliary shafts are coupled to one another via a reduction gear unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 3, 2020
    Publication date: September 10, 2020
    Inventors: DAVID MÜLLER, RAINER GUGEL, FRANK BUHRKE, MICHAEL SCHUMANN
  • Publication number: 20200284340
    Abstract: A method is provided for configuring different numbers of gearshift variants in a stepped powershift transmission for an agricultural working machine. The method includes providing a transmission unit, a front-mounted range unit, a gear reduction unit, a rear-mounted range unit, a housing, a drive shaft, a lay shaft an output shaft, and a hydraulic control arrangement. The same transmission unit is used for all the numbers of gearshift variants while an identical spatial orientation of the shafts is maintained for all the numbers of gearshift variants. The method further includes adapting exclusively the gearshift variants by varying the front-mounted range unit or the rear-mounted range unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 3, 2020
    Publication date: September 10, 2020
    Inventors: DAVID MÜLLER, RAINER GUGEL, FRANK BUHRKE, MICHAEL SCHUMANN
  • Publication number: 20200284324
    Abstract: A powershift transmission for an agricultural machine includes a transmission housing, an input shaft and an output shaft unit. The input shaft and the output shaft unit extend at least at a distance within the transmission housing. The transmission also includes an auxiliary shaft arranged within the transmission housing and offset between the input shaft and the output shaft unit. The input shaft and the auxiliary shaft are connected to one another via a front-mounted range unit, and the auxiliary shaft and the output shaft unit are connected to one another via a rear-mounted range unit. Each range unit includes at least two individual gear wheel pairs which are coupled or decoupled. The output shaft unit includes a main output shaft and an auxiliary output shaft coupled to one another via a reduction gear unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 3, 2020
    Publication date: September 10, 2020
    Inventors: Rainer Gugel, Frank Buhrke, David Müller, Andrew Rekow, Thomas Ore, Michael Schumann
  • Publication number: 20200284891
    Abstract: A method and device for processing an echo signal received from an acoustic sensor. The echo signal is detected over a measurement time interval. A minimum value is ascertained, which describes a minimum amplitude of the echo signal within the measurement interval. An amplitude value is ascertained, which describes an amplitude of the echo signal within a measurement window. The measurement window is a predefined time interval within the measurement interval. A difference is ascertained between the minimum value and the amplitude value. A determination is made whether the echo signal comprises an interference signal of the first type or an interference signal of the second type, based on the ascertained difference.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 21, 2018
    Publication date: September 10, 2020
    Inventors: Dirk Schmid, Michael Schumann
  • Publication number: 20200243728
    Abstract: An optoelectronic semiconductor chip may include an active region configured to emit electromagnetic radiation during operation of said optoelectronic semiconductor chip. The optoelectronic semiconductor chip comprises conversion elements arranged to convert the wavelength of the electromagnetic radiation emitted by the active region during operation, and at least one barrier at least partially impermeable to the electromagnetic radiation emitted by the active region. The barrier is disposed in a lateral direction between the conversion elements, the lateral direction being parallel to the main extension plane of the semiconductor body, and the barrier extending transversely to the lateral direction. The active region has at least two emission regions which can be driven separately from each other, and each of the conversion elements is disposed in a radiation direction of the electromagnetic radiation emitted from one of the emission regions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2018
    Publication date: July 30, 2020
    Inventors: David O'Brien, Desiree Queren, David Racz, Britta Goeoetz, Michael Schumann
  • Publication number: 20200158870
    Abstract: An optical distance measuring device and a method for operating an optical distance measuring device are disclosed. In an embodiment an optical distance measuring device includes a pixelated radiation source with at least two pixels, a radiation detector configured to detect electromagnetic radiation emitted by the radiation source and reflected in measuring regions and a control unit configured to operate the radiation source and to receive electrical signals from the radiation detector, wherein the pixelated radiation source is configured to illuminate different measuring regions with electromagnetic radiation with pairwise different properties.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2018
    Publication date: May 21, 2020
    Inventors: Michael Schumann, Dominik Schulten, Dominik Scholz
  • Publication number: 20200156490
    Abstract: A method for detecting at least one object between primary and secondary coils of a vehicle's inductive-charging-device. A first ultrasonic signal (FUS) is emitted with a first ultrasonic-transmitter (UT) situated at the primary-coil. A FUS-sequence is received with a first ultrasonic-receiver (FUR) at the vehicle. The FUS-sequence includes at least one first direct-receive signal. Alternatively/in addition, the FUS sequence includes additional receive signals, each of which corresponds to an indirect transmission of the ultrasonic-signal from the at least one UT to the FUR. The first direct receive signal is ascertained within the FUS-sequence and/or additional receive signals are ascertained within the FUS-sequence. The first received ultrasonic-signal-sequence, which includes the ascertained direct-receive-signal and/or ascertained additional receive signals is compared to a first reference-ultrasonic-signal-sequence.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 9, 2018
    Publication date: May 21, 2020
    Inventor: Michael Schumann
  • Publication number: 20200130524
    Abstract: A device for locating a vehicle for an inductive energy transmission from an inductive charging device to the vehicle includes an ultrasound transmitter, which emits at least one first ultrasonic signal. At least three ultrasound receivers are situated on the vehicle, which receive an ultrasonic signal sequence having a direct receive signal and further receive signals in each case. A processing unit is situated on the vehicle, which is developed to ascertain the earliest receive direct receive signals within the ultrasonic signal sequences and to ascertain a position of the vehicle relative to the primary coil of the inductive charging device as a function of the ascertained direct receive signals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 9, 2018
    Publication date: April 30, 2020
    Inventor: Michael Schumann
  • Publication number: 20200072973
    Abstract: A method for operating an ultrasonic sensor is provided, a plurality of measuring cycles being consecutively carried out. In each measuring cycle, an electroacoustic transducer of the ultrasonic sensor is excited to carry out mechanical oscillations with the aid of an excitation pulse, whereby a measuring signal is transmitted by the transducer, an echo signal is received by the transducer, and a piece of object information is ascertained from the echo signal. The frequency profile of the excitation pulse differs in measuring cycles which are carried out chronologically consecutively, the frequency profile of an excitation pulse being selected in each measuring cycle randomly or according to a predefined sequence from a group of predefined frequency profiles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 8, 2017
    Publication date: March 5, 2020
    Inventors: Dirk Schmid, Michael Schumann
  • Publication number: 20200057152
    Abstract: An operating method for an ultrasound transceiver device, where the ultrasound transceiver device is alternately and, in particular alternatingly operated in a transmit mode and in a receive mode; subsequently to a transmit mode and/or prior to a receive mode, the ultrasound transceiver device is actively damped by the action of a sequence of counter control pulses; a phase position and/or a damping energy are/is iteratively determined or adapted via a training by a measure of the damping success at least temporarily assuming or approaching an at least locally optimal value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 7, 2018
    Publication date: February 20, 2020
    Inventors: Michael Schumann, Dirk Schmid, Thomas Treptow
  • Publication number: 20200049817
    Abstract: An ultrasonic sensor device including a plurality of ultrasonic sensors and a control unit for operating the ultrasonic sensors, the control unit being configured to activate selectively either a first group of the ultrasonic sensors or a second group of the ultrasonic sensors at the same time, so that the activated ultrasonic sensors emit an ultrasonic signal, each ultrasonic sensor of the first group being situated adjacent to at least one ultrasonic sensor of the second group and each ultrasonic sensor of the second group being situated adjacent to at least one ultrasonic sensor of the first group, and the control unit being configured to operate adjacent active ultrasonic sensors using different frequency-modulated excitation patterns.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 4, 2018
    Publication date: February 13, 2020
    Inventors: Dirk Schmid, Michael Schumann
  • Publication number: 20200037407
    Abstract: A method of operating a lighting device with a light-emitting component, in which the light-emitting component includes a plurality of pixels configured to illuminate a plurality of zones in a field of view, the light-emitting component includes a processing device including characterization data of the light-emitting component, and the pixels of the light-emitting component are operated as a function of the characterization data, wherein to determine characterization data prior to intended operation of the lighting device an intensity and/or a color location of the emitted light of a pixel or of each pixel is measured as a function of an operating current.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2018
    Publication date: January 30, 2020
    Inventors: Dominik Schulten, Michael Schumann, Dominik Scholz
  • Publication number: 20200033473
    Abstract: A method is provided for operating an ultrasonic sensor installed in a concealed manner such that a diaphragm of the sensor is connected to a vehicle part whose instantaneous properties influence a directional characteristic of the sensor, where a threshold value is used to suppress interference signals in the case of pulse-echo measurements using the ultrasonic sensor. The method adapts the threshold value to the directional characteristic of the ultrasonic sensor predetermined according to the instantaneous properties of the vehicle part. Further aspects of the invention relate to a driver assistance system including at least one ultrasonic sensor installed in a concealed manner and a computer program product which is designed to execute the method.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 11, 2018
    Publication date: January 30, 2020
    Inventors: David Weidenfelder, Michael Schumann