Patents by Inventor Norbert Druml

Norbert Druml 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: 12472815
    Abstract: A vehicle system of a vehicle includes a viewing tracking system configured to monitor a driver viewing direction of a vehicle driver and generate driver viewing direction information that indicates the driver viewing direction of the vehicle driver; and an image projection system configured to receive the driver viewing direction information and project an image into the driver viewing direction of the vehicle driver based on the driver viewing direction information. An image projection direction of the image projection system at which the image is projected varies based on a change in the driver viewing direction of the vehicle driver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2023
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2025
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventors: Norbert Druml, Martina Schwarz
  • Patent number: 12360363
    Abstract: A method of synchronizing a first oscillation about a first axis with a second oscillation about a second axis includes: generating a first position signal that indicates a position of the first oscillation about the first axis; generating a second position signal that indicates a position of the second oscillation about the first axis; determining a phase difference between the first and the second position signals; comparing the phase difference to a threshold value to generate a comparison result; generating a reference signal having a first frequency; synchronizing the first oscillation to the first frequency; and triggering a start of the reference signal responsive to the comparison result indicating that the phase difference is less than the threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2024
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2025
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Norbert Druml, Alberto Garcia Izquierdo
  • Publication number: 20250110330
    Abstract: A method of Lissajous scanning includes driving a first oscillator structure about a first rotation axis at a first resonance frequency according to a first driving signal, and driving a second oscillator structure about a second rotation axis at a second resonance frequency according to second driving signal different from the first resonance frequency. The first driving signal has a first low level, a first high level, and a first duty cycle, the combination of which produces the first resonance frequency, and the second driving signal has a second low level, a second high level, and a second duty cycle, the combination of which produces the second resonance frequency. At least one of the second low level, the second high level, and the second duty cycle is different from the first low level, the first high level, and the first duty cycle, respectively.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 13, 2024
    Publication date: April 3, 2025
    Inventors: Han Woong YOO, Stephan Gerhard ALBERT, David BRUNNER, Norbert DRUML, Selma KARIC, Leonhard NIEDERMUELLER, Georg SCHITTER, Richard SCHROEDTER
  • Publication number: 20250076637
    Abstract: A method of synchronizing a first oscillation about a first axis with a second oscillation about a second axis includes: generating a first position signal that indicates a position of the first oscillation about the first axis; generating a second position signal that indicates a position of the second oscillation about the first axis; determining a phase difference between the first and the second position signals; comparing the phase difference to a threshold value to generate a comparison result; generating a reference signal having a first frequency; synchronizing the first oscillation to the first frequency; and triggering a start of the reference signal responsive to the comparison result indicating that the phase difference is less than the threshold value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 7, 2024
    Publication date: March 6, 2025
    Inventors: Norbert DRUML, Alberto GARCIA IZQUIERDO
  • Patent number: 12237840
    Abstract: An oscillator control system includes an oscillator structure configured to oscillate about first and second rotation axes according to a Lissajous pattern, wherein an oscillation about the second rotation axis imparts a cross-coupling error onto an oscillation about the first rotation axis, and wherein the cross-coupling error changes in accordance with a Lissajous position within the Lissajous pattern; and a driver circuit that includes a phase-locked loop (PLL) configured to regulate a driving signal that drives the oscillation about the first rotation axis. The PLL is configured to generate a PLL signal based on a phase error of the oscillation about the first rotation axis. The PLL includes a compensation circuit configured to receive the PLL signal and the Lissajous position within the Lissajous pattern, apply a compensation value to the PLL signal to generate a compensated PLL signal used for generating the driving signal based on the Lissajous position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2025
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Norbert Druml, Stephan Gerhard Albert, Franz Michael Darrer, Philipp Greiner
  • Patent number: 12210122
    Abstract: A scanning system includes a transmitter, a scanning structure, and a controller. The transmitter is configured to transmit a frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) light beam that includes a plurality of frequency ramps including up-chirps and down-chirps that are matched into up-down chirp pairs. The scanning structure is configured to oscillate about a scanning axis such that a deflection angle of the scanning structure continuously varies over time in an angular range between two maximum deflection angles. The controller is configured to segment the angular range into a plurality of sub-angular ranges and assign each up-down chirp pair to a different sub-angular range of the plurality of sub-angular ranges. Each up-down chirp pair includes an up-chirp transmitted in an assigned sub-angular range during a first scanning movement of the scanning structure and a down-chirp transmitted in the assigned sub-angular range during a second scanning movement of the scanning structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2025
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventor: Norbert Druml
  • Publication number: 20250018964
    Abstract: A vehicle system of a vehicle includes a viewing tracking system configured to monitor a driver viewing direction of a vehicle driver and generate driver viewing direction information that indicates the driver viewing direction of the vehicle driver; and an image projection system configured to receive the driver viewing direction information and project an image into the driver viewing direction of the vehicle driver based on the driver viewing direction information. An image projection direction of the image projection system at which the image is projected varies based on a change in the driver viewing direction of the vehicle driver.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 12, 2023
    Publication date: January 16, 2025
    Inventors: Norbert DRUML, Martina SCHWARZ
  • Patent number: 12196950
    Abstract: A method of Lissajous scanning includes driving a first oscillator structure about a first rotation axis at a first resonance frequency according to a first driving signal, and driving a second oscillator structure about a second rotation axis at a second resonance frequency according to second driving signal different from the first resonance frequency. The first driving signal has a first low level, a first high level, and a first duty cycle, the combination of which produces the first resonance frequency, and the second driving signal has a second low level, a second high level, and a second duty cycle, the combination of which produces the second resonance frequency. At least one of the second low level, the second high level, and the second duty cycle is different from the first low level, the first high level, and the first duty cycle, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2025
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Han Woong Yoo, Stephan Gerhard Albert, David Brunner, Norbert Druml, Selma Karic, Leonhard Niedermueller, Georg Schitter, Richard Schroedter
  • Publication number: 20240302647
    Abstract: An oscillator system includes an oscillator structure configured to oscillate about a first axis according to a first oscillation and oscillate about a second axis according to a second oscillation; a first driver configured to drive the first oscillation, detect first zero-crossing events of the first mirror, and generate a first position signal based on the detected first zero-crossing events; a second driver configured to drive the second oscillation, detect second zero-crossing events of the second mirror, and generate a second position signal based on the detected second zero-crossing events; and a synchronization controller configured to receive the first and the second position signals, and synchronize at least one of a phase or a frequency of the second oscillation with at least one of a phase or a frequency of the first oscillation, respectively, based on the first and the second position signals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 16, 2024
    Publication date: September 12, 2024
    Inventors: Norbert DRUML, Philipp GREINER, Boris KIRILLOV, Ievgeniia MAKSYMOVA, Maksym SLADKOV, Hendrikus VAN LIEROP
  • Patent number: 12061290
    Abstract: A scanning system includes a scanning structure configured to rotate about at least one first scanning axis; a driver configured to drive the scanning structure about the at least one first scanning axis and detect a position of the scanning structure with respect to the at least one first scanning axis during movement of the scanning structure; a segmented pixel sensor including a plurality of sub-pixel elements arranged in a pixel area; and a controller configured to selectively activate and deactivate the plurality of sub-pixel elements into at least one active cluster and at least one deactivated cluster to form at least one active pixel from the at least one active cluster, receive first position information from the driver indicating the detected position of the scanning structure, and dynamically change a clustering of activated sub-pixel elements and a clustering of deactivated sub-pixel elements based on the first position information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2023
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2024
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Norbert Druml, Philipp Greiner
  • Patent number: 12044841
    Abstract: An oscillator driver system includes an oscillator structure and a driver circuit. The oscillator structure includes a rotor terminal configured to receive a rotor voltage and a stator terminal configured to receive a stator voltage, and is driven about a rotation axis according to a voltage difference between the rotor and stator voltages. The driver circuit is configured to generate a driving signal and output the driving signal as the rotor voltage, wherein the driving signal toggles between low and high voltage levels at an actuation frequency to drive the oscillator structure about the rotation axis, and wherein the stator voltage is a fixed voltage. The low and high voltage levels are greater than the stator voltage such that the voltage difference toggles between a low voltage difference and a high voltage difference as the driving signal toggles between the low voltage level and the high voltage level, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2024
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Norbert Druml, Philipp Greiner
  • Patent number: 12001010
    Abstract: An oscillator system includes an oscillator structure configured to oscillate about a first axis according to a first oscillation and oscillate about a second axis according to a second oscillation; a first driver configured to drive the first oscillation, detect first zero-crossing events of the first mirror, and generate a first position signal based on the detected first zero-crossing events; a second driver configured to drive the second oscillation, detect second zero-crossing events of the second mirror, and generate a second position signal based on the detected second zero-crossing events; and a synchronization controller configured to receive the first and the second position signals, and synchronize at least one of a phase or a frequency of the second oscillation with at least one of a phase or a frequency of the first oscillation, respectively, based on the first and the second position signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2024
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Norbert Druml, Philipp Greiner, Boris Kirillov, Ievgeniia Maksymova, Maksym Sladkov, Hendrikus Van Lierop
  • Patent number: 11977646
    Abstract: A sensor arrangement comprises a communication device and a sensor element. The sensor element is configured to record a property and provide a sensor signal that represents the property. The sensor arrangement comprises a security element configured to provide a secret. The sensor arrangement is configured to link the sensor signal to the secret to obtain a linked sensor signal, transmit the linked sensor signal to a communication partner using the communication device, obtain a test signal from the communication partner using the communication device, and perform a check to determine whether the test signal comprises the secret.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Thomas Leutgeb, Markus Dielacher, Norbert Druml, Armin Krieg
  • Patent number: 11953676
    Abstract: A method of synchronizing a first oscillation about a first axis with a second oscillation about a second axis includes: generating a first position signal that indicates a position of the first oscillation about the first axis; generating a second position signal that indicates a position of the second oscillation about the first axis; determining a phase difference between the first and the second position signals; comparing the phase difference to a threshold value to generate a comparison result; generating a first reference signal having a first frequency and a second reference signal having a second frequency; synchronizing the first oscillation to the first frequency and synchronizing the second oscillation to the second frequency; monitoring the comparison result; and synchronously triggering a start of the first reference signal and the second reference signal responsive to the comparison result indicating that the phase difference is less than the threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Norbert Druml, Alberto Garcia Izquierdo
  • Patent number: 11938955
    Abstract: An object sensor test system includes a sensor and a test bench. The sensor includes a receiver configured to receive a simulated optical signal and a processing chain that includes a plurality of processing components configured to process at least one measurement signal generated in response to the simulated optical signal to generate processed test data. The sensor also includes a test interface configured to receive a control signal, and selectively extract processed test data at a selected output of the processing chain based on the control signal. The test bench is configured to transmit the control signal to the test interface, receive the processed test data from the sensor, compare the received processed test data with expected data to generate a comparison result, and determine that a segment of the processing chain is operating normally or abnormally based on the comparison result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventor: Norbert Druml
  • Publication number: 20240069329
    Abstract: A method of synchronizing a first oscillation about a first axis with a second oscillation about a second axis includes: generating a first position signal that indicates a position of the first oscillation about the first axis; generating a second position signal that indicates a position of the second oscillation about the first axis; determining a phase difference between the first and the second position signals; comparing the phase difference to a threshold value to generate a comparison result; generating a first reference signal having a first frequency and a second reference signal having a second frequency; synchronizing the first oscillation to the first frequency and synchronizing the second oscillation to the second frequency; monitoring the comparison result; and synchronously triggering a start of the first reference signal and the second reference signal responsive to the comparison result indicating that the phase difference is less than the threshold value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 30, 2022
    Publication date: February 29, 2024
    Inventors: Norbert DRUML, Alberto GARCIA IZQUIERDO
  • Patent number: 11789150
    Abstract: A localization apparatus includes: a time-of-flight circuit configured to emit a first modulated light signal and to receive reflections of the first modulated light signal from at least three devices; a processing circuit configured to determine, based on the first modulated light signal and the reflections, positions of the at least three devices in a first coordinate system associated with the apparatus; and a receive circuit configured to receive second modulated signals from the at least three devices, the second modulated signals including data indicating positions of the at least three devices in a second coordinate system. The processing circuit is further configured to determine a position and orientation of the apparatus in the second coordinate system based on the positions of the at least three devices in the first coordinate system and the data indicating the positions of the at least three devices in the second coordinate system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Hannes Plank, Norbert Druml, Theresa Egger, Thomas Herndl, Christoph Steffan
  • Publication number: 20230314790
    Abstract: An oscillator system includes a oscillator structure configured to oscillate about an axis; a driver configured to generate a driving signal to drive an oscillation of the oscillator structure about the axis with an oscillation phase and an oscillation frequency, wherein the driver includes a phase detector configured to generate a phase error signal representative of a phase error between a measured oscillation of the oscillator structure about the axis and an expected oscillation having the oscillation phase; and a phase controller configured to receive the phase error signal and generate an actuation value based on the phase error signal, wherein the phase controller is configured to adjust the actuation value based on the phase error signal to adjust an actuation phase of the oscillator structure about the axis to minimize the phase error. The driver is configured to generate the driving signal based on the actuation value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2022
    Publication date: October 5, 2023
    Applicant: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Norbert DRUML, Philipp GREINER
  • Publication number: 20230296735
    Abstract: A scanning system includes a scanning structure configured to rotate about at least one first scanning axis; a driver configured to drive the scanning structure about the at least one first scanning axis and detect a position of the scanning structure with respect to the at least one first scanning axis during movement of the scanning structure; a segmented pixel sensor including a plurality of sub-pixel elements arranged in a pixel area; and a controller configured to selectively activate and deactivate the plurality of sub-pixel elements into at least one active cluster and at least one deactivated cluster to form at least one active pixel from the at least one active cluster, receive first position information from the driver indicating the detected position of the scanning structure, and dynamically change a clustering of activated sub-pixel elements and a clustering of deactivated sub-pixel elements based on the first position information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 23, 2023
    Publication date: September 21, 2023
    Inventors: Norbert DRUML, Philipp GREINER
  • Patent number: 11698447
    Abstract: A scanning system includes a scanning structure configured to rotate about at least one first scanning axis; a driver configured to drive the scanning structure about the at least one first scanning axis and detect a position of the scanning structure with respect to the at least one first scanning axis during movement of the scanning structure; a segmented pixel sensor including a plurality of sub-pixel elements arranged in a pixel area; and a controller configured to selectively activate and deactivate the plurality of sub-pixel elements into at least one active cluster and at least one deactivated cluster to form at least one active pixel from the at least one active cluster, receive first position information from the driver indicating the detected position of the scanning structure, and dynamically change a clustering of activated sub-pixel elements and a clustering of deactivated sub-pixel elements based on the first position information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2023
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Norbert Druml, Philipp Greiner