Patents by Inventor Peter A. Hofmann

Peter A. Hofmann 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: 20240134113
    Abstract: In some implementations, a substrate tube in a modified chemical vapor deposition process may rotate while glass precursors flow into the substrate tube at a fixed rate. Dopants may be delivered into the substrate tube while heat is applied to the substrate tube to deposit, on an inner wall of the substrate tube, a layer of material including the glass precursors and the dopants. A lateral position of an exit of an injection tube used to deliver the dopants may be adjusted while the substrate tube is rotated and heat is applied to the substrate tube such that the material deposited on the inner wall of the substrate tube has an azimuthally non-uniform doping concentration. Alternatively, a rotation of the substrate tube may be adjusted to create opposing temperature gradients within the substrate tube, causing non-uniform layer deposition to occur on different sides of the substrate tube in alternating passes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2023
    Publication date: April 25, 2024
    Inventors: Peter HOFMANN, Peter JAKOPIC, Martin H. MUENDEL
  • Publication number: 20240111268
    Abstract: A system, template, and method of managing virtual control units in an industrial automation facility are provided. The industrial automation facility includes machines. The method includes generating templates including deployment criteria for the virtual control units. Each of the virtual control units is capable of controlling at least one of the machines. The virtual control units are mapped to one or more compute nodes based on the deployment criteria. The virtual control units are instantiated on the mapped compute nodes when the controlled machines are in operation. The method includes validating that the instantiation of the virtual control units is in accordance with the templates using an attestation that confirms determined deployment parameters after deployment of the virtual control units. The machines perform the industrial process, according to control commands received from at least one of the virtual control units, when the virtual control units are validly instantiated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2023
    Publication date: April 4, 2024
    Inventors: Rainer Falk, Stefan Becker, Christian Peter Feist, Klaus-Peter Hofmann
  • Publication number: 20240022591
    Abstract: Various embodiments of the teachings herein include an attestation component configured to attest a cloud-based execution environment. The cloud-based execution environment comprises at least one application instance and a project plan assigned to the at least one application instance. The attestation component may include: a determination component configured to determine at least one piece of trustworthiness information indicating a trustworthiness of the cloud-based execution environment and of the at least one application instance; and a linking component configured to establish a link between the trustworthiness information and the project plan.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 5, 2023
    Publication date: January 18, 2024
    Applicant: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Christian Peter Feist, Rainer Falk, Stefan Becker, Klaus-Peter Hofmann
  • Patent number: 11760140
    Abstract: A method for checking the tire pressure of a vehicle (1), which vehicle comprises at least one vehicle wheel (3) and a vehicle body (2) which is supported elastically on the vehicle wheel (3). The wheel includes a tire (7), filled with gas, on which wheel the vehicle stands on a subsurface (8). The vehicle body (2) is loaded with an additional mass and thereby the vehicle body is stimulated into a mechanical oscillation (16) relative to the subsurface (8). A response signal (A), that characterizes the mechanical oscillation (16), is measured and analyzed, whereby at least one response value that characterizes the current gas pressure in the tire is determined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2023
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Dennis Pape, Peter Hofmann
  • Publication number: 20230271041
    Abstract: A spray module for a device for fighting a vegetation fire, the spray module includes: an inlet for a fluid, an outlet for the fluid, a fastening unit for fastening the spray module in a raised position with respect to an underlying surface, a first spray mist nozzle having a first opening area, which is configured to dispense a first spray mist, and a second spray mist nozzle having a second opening area, which is configured to dispense a second spray mist, the first opening area and the second opening area are arranged parallel to one another on the spray module in such a way that the first spray mist and the second spray mist can be dispensed in two opposite directions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 20, 2021
    Publication date: August 31, 2023
    Inventors: Martin Peter Hofmann, David Johannes Reinhard Zenz
  • Patent number: 11554494
    Abstract: A device for acquiring a position and orientation of an end effector of a robot is provided. The robot has a robot arm with axes coupled to one another by joints. The end effector is arranged on an end of the robot arm, optical markers are arranged on first and second axes, and a number of joints between the end effector and the first axis is lower than a number of joints between the end effector and the second axis. An optical sensor acquires image data of the optical markers. A storage device stores a kinematic model of the robot arm. An evaluation device, in a first case, determines a first position of a first optical marker and the position and orientation of the end effector and, in a second case, a second position of a second optical marker and the position and orientation of the end effector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2023
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss Industrielle Messtechnik GmbH
    Inventors: Heiko Goller, Peter Hofmann, Ivan Kausz, Gernot Sattelmayer
  • Patent number: 11545569
    Abstract: A method of fabricating a laterally diffused metal oxide semiconductor transistor including providing a substrate, forming a first well of a first doping polarity type in the substrate, forming a gate on a portion of the first well, the gate including an oxide layer and an at least partially conductive layer on the oxide layer, and forming a mask on at least a portion of the gate and at least a portion of the first well, wherein the mask has a sloping edge. The method further includes forming a second well of a second doping polarity type at least partially in the first well by implanting ions in the first well, the second well extending under a portion of the gate, the second doping polarity type being of opposite type to the first doping polarity type. The method includes forming a first one of a source and drain of the first doping polarity type in or on the second well, thereby defining a channel of the transistor under the gate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignee: X-Fab Semiconductor Foundries GmbH
    Inventors: Manoj Chandrika Reghunathan, Peter Hofmann
  • Publication number: 20220355628
    Abstract: A method for checking the tire pressure of a vehicle (1), which vehicle comprises at least one vehicle wheel (3) and a vehicle body (2) which is supported elastically on the vehicle wheel (3). The wheel includes a tire (7), filled with gas, on which wheel the vehicle stands on a subsurface (8). The vehicle body (2) is loaded with an additional mass and thereby the vehicle body is stimulated into a mechanical oscillation (16) relative to the subsurface (8). A response signal (A), that characterizes the mechanical oscillation (16), is measured and analyzed, whereby at least one response value that characterizes the current gas pressure in the tire is determined.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2020
    Publication date: November 10, 2022
    Inventors: Dennis PAPE, Peter HOFMANN
  • Patent number: 11255355
    Abstract: An electronic valve controller for an open-loop and closed-loop control of a valve island includes four or eight valve disks having pneumatic valves configured to perform a motion task. Applications for the open-loop and closed-loop control of the valve island can be loaded onto the electronic valve controller. The invention further relates to a valve assembly, which is controlled in an open-loop and closed-loop manner by an electronic valve controller, to a corresponding method, and to a system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Assignee: Festo SE & Co. KG
    Inventors: Matthias Doll, Rüdiger Neumann, Stefan Elmer, Peter Hofmann, Bernd Schneider
  • Patent number: 11251986
    Abstract: A method is provided for automatically creating data relating to an automation system, wherein a plurality of software agents is assigned to the automation system. The software agents are connected to the cloud via a gateway, wherein the cloud holds an agent configuration for each software agent. Data captured by at least some of the software agents and relate to at least one device, service, and/or data source of the automation system, which may be reached by the particular software agent, are received by the gateway. At least one software agent assigned to the automation system is configured by the gateway during processing of one or more agent configurations from the cloud and the captured data relating to at least one device, service, and/or data source may be reached by the particular software agent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignee: SIEMENS AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventors: Michael Adler, Klaus-Peter Hofmann
  • Patent number: 11152504
    Abstract: Methods of fabricating a field-effect transistor, where the methods include providing a substrate, forming a first well of a first doping polarity type in the substrate, and forming a gate on a portion of the first well, the gate comprising an oxide layer and an at least partially conductive layer on the oxide layer. A second well of a second doping polarity type is formed by implanting ions in the first well, the second well extending under a portion of the gate. A first one of a source and drain of the first doping polarity type in or on the second well is formed, thereby defining a channel of the transistor under the gate. A second one of the source and drain of the first doping polarity type in or on the first well is formed. The second well may be formed by means of a two-step implant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: X-FAB SEMICONDUCTOR FOUNDRIES GMBH
    Inventors: Manoj Chandrika Reghunathan, Peter Hofmann
  • Patent number: 11143213
    Abstract: An electronic execution unit controls and regulates a pneumatic valve assembly for a pneumatic movement. An application for controlling and regulating a valve assembly is or can be loaded so that it can be carried out on the electronic execution unit to carry out the pneumatic movement on the pneumatic valve assembly. An electronic valve controller for the open-loop control and closed-loop control of a valve assembly has at least one pneumatic valve for a pneumatic movement task.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2021
    Assignee: Festo SE & Co. KG
    Inventors: Matthias Doll, Rüdiger Neumann, Stefan Elmer, Peter Hofmann, Bernd Schneider, Michael Link
  • Publication number: 20210013340
    Abstract: A method of fabricating a laterally diffused metal oxide semiconductor transistor including providing a substrate, forming a first well of a first doping polarity type in the substrate, forming a gate on a portion of the first well, the gate including an oxide layer and an at least partially conductive layer on the oxide layer, and forming a mask on at least a portion of the gate and at least a portion of the first well, wherein the mask has a sloping edge. The method further includes forming a second well of a second doping polarity type at least partially in the first well by implanting ions in the first well, the second well extending under a portion of the gate, the second doping polarity type being of opposite type to the first doping polarity type. The method includes forming a first one of a source and drain of the first doping polarity type in or on the second well, thereby defining a channel of the transistor under the gate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2020
    Publication date: January 14, 2021
    Inventors: Manoj Chandrika Reghunathan, Peter Hofmann
  • Patent number: 10685129
    Abstract: A data processing system is provided with a data verification system that is configured to perform a validation check upon receipt of a request from a field device to transfer data to the data processing system. The data verification system is also configured to verify a permission of the field device to exchange data and to validate the data integrity. A data landing zone is provided for temporary storage of the data in the event that a validation check fails, so that data errors may be corrected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2020
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Michael Adler, Klaus-Peter Hofmann
  • Patent number: 10647651
    Abstract: The invention relates to a process for the production of 1,6-difunctionalized hexane derivatives from 1,3-diunsaturated hydrocarbons, preferably butadiene, wherein a hydroformylation with carbon monoxide and hydrogen is performed in the presence of an at least dihydric alkanol and during the hydroformylation the temperature is increased. The reaction yields the acetals of the 1,6-hexanedial derivatives which are isolated and further reacted to obtain the desired 1,6-difunctionalized hexane derivatives, in particular 1,6-hexanediamine, 1,6-hexanediol and adipic acid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2020
    Assignee: BASF SE
    Inventors: Thomas Schaub, Rocco Paciello, Martin Ernst, Jaroslaw Mormul, Peter Hofmann, Jan Breitenfeld, Oliver Trapp
  • Publication number: 20200108506
    Abstract: A device for acquiring a position and orientation of an end effector of a robot is provided. The robot has a robot arm with axes coupled to one another by joints. The end effector is arranged on an end of the robot arm, optical markers are arranged on first and second axes, and a number of joints between the end effector and the first axis is lower than a number of joints between the end effector and the second axis. An optical sensor acquires image data of the optical markers. A storage device stores a kinematic model of the robot arm. An evaluation device, in a first case, determines a first position of a first optical marker and the position and orientation of the end effector and, in a second case, a second position of a second optical marker and the position and orientation of the end effector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 5, 2019
    Publication date: April 9, 2020
    Inventors: Heiko Goller, Peter Hofmann, Ivan Kausz, Gernot Sattelmayer
  • Patent number: 10502631
    Abstract: A semiconductor product comprising: a semiconductor substrate and a test structure, the test structure comprising: a thermopile and at least one temperature sensitive element, the at least one temperature sensitive element being located in the substrate, or between the substrate and the thermopile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2019
    Assignee: X-FAB SEMICONDUCTOR FOUNDRIES GMBH
    Inventors: Peter Hofmann, Kerst Griesbach, Monika Reinhold
  • Publication number: 20190356503
    Abstract: A method is provided for automatically creating data relating to an automation system, wherein a plurality of software agents is assigned to the automation system. The software agents are connected to the cloud via a gateway, wherein the cloud holds an agent configuration for each software agent. Data captured by at least some of the software agents and relate to at least one device, service, and/or data source of the automation system, which may be reached by the particular software agent, are received by the gateway. At least one software agent assigned to the automation system is configured by the gateway during processing of one or more agent configurations from the cloud and the captured data relating to at least one device, service, and/or data source may be reached by the particular software agent.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 8, 2017
    Publication date: November 21, 2019
    Inventors: Michael ADLER, Klaus-Peter HOFMANN
  • Publication number: 20190329619
    Abstract: A bearing device (7) for a leaf spring assembly (1) of a wheel suspension, having a leaf spring (2) and a connection device, which serves for the installation of the leaf spring (2) at the vehicle body. The connection device has a bolt. The leaf spring (2) is fabricated from a fiber composite material and has a recess that passes through the leaf spring, in a transverse direction, and through which the bolt (10) extends in order to provide the bearing device (7) with a compact construction and a low manufacturing cost and effort.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 9, 2017
    Publication date: October 31, 2019
    Inventors: Thomas RUPFLIN, Peter HOFMANN
  • Patent number: 10315975
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for the regioselective hydroformylation of polyunsaturated acyclic hydrocarbons, which are 1, 3 butadienes, which, in the 2 position, bear a saturated or monounsaturated or polyunsaturated acyclic hydrocarbon radical. The present invention also relates to the production of secondary products of these hydroformylation products, especially of ambrox.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2019
    Assignees: BASF SE, Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg
    Inventors: Julia Strautmann, Stefan Rüdenauer, Christian Rein, Melanie Weingarten, Rocco Paciello, Wolfgang Siegel, Michael Breuer, Peter Hofmann, Sebastian Schmidt