Patents by Inventor Peter Hofmann

Peter 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: 20260054625
    Abstract: A vehicle seat for commercial vehicles includes a support structure and at least one cushion element. The at least one cushion element is arranged on the support structure. The support structure includes at least one shell element. The at least one cushion element is formed from an integral foam and has a plurality of openings.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 26, 2025
    Publication date: February 26, 2026
    Inventors: KONSTANTIN KRIVENKOV, SEBASTIAN KECK, PETER HOFMANN, ANDREAS NIEBLER
  • Publication number: 20260058092
    Abstract: The invention relates, inter alia, to an ion source (10) for generating ions (16) or ion beams (16a), comprising an ion generation chamber (11) in which the ions (16) are generated. In order to monitor the ion source (10) and in particular to ensure its safety, it is realised according to the invention that the ion source (10) comprises a pressure measuring device (30) associated with the ion generation chamber (11), wherein the pressure measuring device (30) comprises a first pressure measuring device (31), which is designed in particular in the form of a gas friction pressure gauge, or which comprises in particular a gas friction pressure gauge. Furthermore, the invention also relates to a method for handling such an ion source (10).
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2023
    Publication date: February 26, 2026
    Inventors: Raffael Ferdigg, Peter Hofmann
  • Publication number: 20250362690
    Abstract: A method for determining the pose of a pallet relative to an industrial truck that has a pair of fork arms with a first and a second fork arm and a first distance measuring means that is arranged in the region of a fork tip on the first fork arm and preferably directed towards a fork gap, wherein the pallet has an outer block, outer web, center block or web, characterized by the steps of: inserting the industrial truck into the pallet so that the first and second fork arms enter into the pallet, determining multiple first distance measurement values with the first distance measuring means to the outer block, outer web, center block or web of the pallet during insertion, calculating a degree of offset from at least one first distance measurement value and/or a degree of tilt from the difference between at least two first distance measurement values.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 20, 2025
    Publication date: November 27, 2025
    Inventors: Dennis FLOTTRAN, Maximilian FRÄNKEL, Heiko NIERMANN, Peter HOFMANN, Dominik MEINZER
  • Publication number: 20250206098
    Abstract: An actuator device (2) for a motor vehicle, in particular for a roll stabilizer of a motor vehicle, having a housing (6) and a drive output element (9) mounted to rotate relative to the housing about a rotation axis (11). Associated with the drive output element (9) is a seal (12) for sealing an inside space (24) of the housing (6) relative to an external environment (25). Associated with the drive output element (9) is an annular inner sealing element (20) and associated with the housing (6) is an annular outer sealing element (30). In an axial projection, the sealing elements (20, 30) partially overlap and are in contact so as to form at least one all-round sealing area (33a, 33b, 33c, 34a, 34b; 35a, 35b, 35c, 36).
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 18, 2023
    Publication date: June 26, 2025
    Applicant: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventor: Peter Hofmann
  • Publication number: 20240230984
    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 28, 2023
    Publication date: July 11, 2024
    Inventors: Peter HOFMANN, Peter JAKOPIC, Martin H. MUENDEL
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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: 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: 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: 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
  • Publication number: 20190093681
    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: Application
    Filed: October 20, 2018
    Publication date: March 28, 2019
    Inventors: Matthias Doll, Rüdiger Neumann, Stefan Elmer, Peter Hofmann, Bernd Schneider, Michael Link