Patents by Inventor Peter Schäfer

Peter Schäfer 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: 20140357439
    Abstract: A structural or support ring for an overmolded pulley, the ring placed between a bearing and outer radial surface of the pulley, providing structural support across a width of the pulley.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 20, 2014
    Publication date: December 4, 2014
    Applicant: Schaeffler Technologies GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventor: Peter Schaefer
  • Patent number: 8850707
    Abstract: A hair trimmer is disclosed, comprising a fixed cutting element having teeth on the front side thereof, and a mobile cutting element which has teeth on the front side thereof and is oscillable in relation to the fixed cutting element, so that, when the hair trimmer is used, hairs reaching between the teeth of the fixed cutting element and the mobile cutting element are cut off. The hair trimmer also has a protective support which has teeth on its front side, is arranged on the fixed cutting element, and used to place the hair trimmer on the skin of the user. The teeth of the protective support lock with the teeth of the fixed cutting element on the front side or slightly extend over the teeth, and the teeth of the protective support lie on the fixed cutting element, essentially without gaps.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: Braun GmbH
    Inventors: Michael Maichel, Peter Schaefer, Juergen Behrendt
  • Patent number: 8818707
    Abstract: A method, of resolving a location from an ordered list of location reference points being representative of nodes in an encoder digital map and each having attributes representative of a specific line or segment in the encoder digital map emanating from or incident at those nodes, is disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Assignee: TomTom International B.V.
    Inventors: Sven Baselau, Lars Petzold, Ralf-Peter Schaefer
  • Patent number: 8770835
    Abstract: The disclosure provides a system, tools and methods for estimating a property or characteristic of a fluid downhole. In one aspect, the method may include: heating the fluid at a selected or first location during a first time phase, taking temperature measurements of the fluid substantially at the selected location during a second time phase, and estimating the property of the downhole fluid using temperature measurements. Temperature measurements may also be taken at a location spaced apart from the first location and used to estimate the property of the fluid. The tool may include a device that heats the fluid during a first time phase and takes temperature measurements of the fluid during a second time phase. A processor uses the temperature measurements and a model to estimate a property of interest of the fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: Baker Hughes Incorporated
    Inventors: Stefan Sroka, Peter Schaefer
  • Patent number: 8626438
    Abstract: A efficient method of encoding a continuous path within a road network in which the path to be encoded is expressible as a path list of lines and/or segments existing in a digital map and consecutively ordered.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2014
    Assignee: TomTom International B.V.
    Inventors: Lars Petzold, Ralf-Peter Schaefer, Sven Baselau
  • Patent number: 8614407
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for supplying current to a glow plug in a running diesel engine after reaching the operating temperature thereof by a series of current pulses, wherein a piston of the engine carries out a work cycle comprising several strokes and the glow plug is supplied with current as a function of the strokes of the work cycle such that the electric current supplied in each work cycle is mainly supplied at a predetermined, steady stroke of the piston, wherein control time intervals that follow each other are defined, during which up to two switching processes can be triggered by a control device, by which the glow plug can be connected to a voltage source for creating a current pulse or can be disconnected from the voltage source for ending a current pulse. According to the invention, the control time intervals have a duration that can be varied by the control device as a function of the rotational speed of the engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2013
    Assignee: BorgWarner BERU Systems GmbH
    Inventors: Markus Kernwein, Peter Schaefer
  • Publication number: 20130317744
    Abstract: A method of processing data relating to an electronic map, the map comprising a plurality of segments representing navigable segments in the area covered by the map, the method comprising using a processing apparatus to generate segment data and comprising the steps of: collecting historic travel data for the segment; defining a jam condition for the segment, such that where the jam condition is satisfied the segment is classified as jammed and otherwise as not jammed; generating a jam probability for the segment according to the historic travel data and the jam condition definition; generating a jam speed for the segment using the historic travel data, the jam speed being indicative of the speed on the segment when the segment is considered jammed; and associating the jam probability and the jam speed with the segment in the electronic map.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 2, 2012
    Publication date: November 28, 2013
    Inventors: Peter Mieth, Stefan Lorkowski, Ralf-Peter Schäfer, Nikolaus Witte
  • Publication number: 20130311076
    Abstract: A method of generating expected average speeds of travel across one or more segments in the area covered by an electronic map, each segment representing a navigable segment in the area covered by the map and having associated therewith: an average speed of travel across that segment; segment data comprising at least one jam probability, the jam probability indicating the likelihood of a jam on that segment; and a jam speed indicative of the speed of travel on that segment when it is considered jammed. The method comprises using the segment data to predict whether a jam condition exists on at least one or each of the segments; and outputting the expected average speed of travel across these segments as: a) a first speed, where a jam condition is predicted to exist, the first speed being the jam speed for the relevant segment or a speed based thereon, or b) a second speed, where a jam condition is not predicted, the second speed being the average speed for the relevant segment or a speed based thereon.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 2, 2012
    Publication date: November 21, 2013
    Inventors: Peter Mieth, Stefan Lorkowski, Ralf-Peter Schäfer, Nikolaus Witte
  • Patent number: 8552345
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for operating a diesel fuel filter heater comprising at least one PTC element, in a motor vehicle. According to the invention, a glow plug control device is used to generate an effective voltage from a vehicle system voltage using pulse width modulation, which is then applied at the filter heater.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2013
    Assignee: BorgWarner BERU Systems GmbH
    Inventors: Peter Schaefer, Clement Rinkert
  • Patent number: 8430590
    Abstract: An electric toothbrush is disclosed. The toothbrush includes a handle part and an attachment part, wherein the handle part has a housing, in which a reservoir for a care substance, a pump for delivering the care substance and a drive unit for driving the pump are arranged. The housing is divided into a liquid-tight first chamber and a second chamber by a partition extending in the longitudinal direction of the housing. The first chamber housing the drive unit is arranged in the first chamber and the reservoir and the pump are arranged in the second chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2013
    Assignee: Braun GmbH
    Inventors: Bernhard Boland, Uwe Bielfeldt, Christof Miltenberger, Peter Schaefer, Norbert Schaefer, Michael Sauer
  • Publication number: 20130019673
    Abstract: An apparatus for estimating a viscosity or density of a fluid downhole includes a carrier configured to be conveyed through a borehole penetrating the earth. A pump is disposed at the carrier and configured to pump the fluid. A flow restriction element is configured to receive a flow of the fluid pumped by the pump and to reduce pressure of the fluid flowing through the flow restriction element. A sensor is configured to measure a differential pressure across the flow restriction element and to provide an output that is used to estimate the viscosity or density.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 17, 2012
    Publication date: January 24, 2013
    Applicant: Baker Hughes Incorporated
    Inventors: Stefan SROKA, Thomas KRUSPE, Peter SCHAEFER
  • Publication number: 20120274343
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for measuring the electrical resistance of a glow plug, wherein a test current is set by closed-loop control to a constant value using a constant-current source, and is directed through the plug. A value of the electrical resistance of the glow plug is determined by evaluating a feedback signal of the constant-current source.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 25, 2012
    Publication date: November 1, 2012
    Inventor: Peter SCHAEFER
  • Publication number: 20120266668
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an apparatus and method for estimating a parameter of interest in a downhole fluid using a fluid analysis module. The fluid analysis module may include: a first transducer configured to generate a surface wave in a fluid. The first transducer may include one or more of: a piezoelectric crystal, a electromagnetic transducer, and a surface acoustic wave crystal. The apparatus may use the first transducer or a second transducer to generate a signal indicative of the dissipation of the surface wave in the fluid. The apparatus may include a compensator configured to reduce mechanical pressure on the transducer. The method may include estimating a parameter of interest of the fluid using a signal indicative of the dissipation of the surface wave.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 17, 2012
    Publication date: October 25, 2012
    Applicant: Baker Hughes Incorporated
    Inventors: Sunil Kumar, Stefan Sroka, Peter Schaefer
  • Patent number: 8269161
    Abstract: An apparatus for evaluating downhole fluids is disclosed. The apparatus includes: an optical block having an adjustable opening that receives electromagnetic energy emitted by an electromagnetic energy source; a controller operatively associated with the optical block for adjusting the opening size, wherein the opening size is adjusted at least in part based on one or more estimated downhole parameters; and a sensor that receives the electromagnetic energy emitted by the electromagnetic energy source after the emitted electromagnetic energy interacts with a downhole fluid. A method for evaluating downhole fluids is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2012
    Assignee: Baker Hughes Incorporated
    Inventors: Peter Schaefer, Tobias Kischkat
  • Patent number: 8222565
    Abstract: A method for laser fusion cutting of a metal workpiece including applying a laser beam to the workpiece, where a kerf is melted in the workpiece by the laser beam and a laser beam diameter in a working point is configured to expel molten material from the kerf without cutting gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2012
    Assignee: TRUMPF Laser GmbH + Co. KG
    Inventors: Peter Schaefer, Peter Olschowsky, Hubertus Melbert
  • Patent number: 8206167
    Abstract: An adapter set for fluorescent lamps with electronic ballast for converting to a fluorescent tube having a smaller diameter. The electronic ballast and the end cap adapter each on one axial front thereof comprise contact pins having dimensions of fluorescent tubes of larger diameters, and on the opposite axial front have contact sockets for receiving two contact pins of the fluorescent tube having a smaller diameter. Preferably, the electronic components of the ballast are located on at least two spatially separated partial circuit boards which may be connected to each other by a flexible contact strip. A jacket tube has at least one cable channel that extends axially relative thereto to house the wiring connecting the contact pins of the end cap adapter and the electric ballast.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2012
    Assignee: e-Ressource Österreich GmbH
    Inventors: Carsten Reuter, Matthias Weise, Peter Schäfer
  • Publication number: 20120107278
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method for administering an abbreviated hepatitis C virus (HCV) treatment regimen for an HCV-infected, rs12979860 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) (C/C) patient, which comprises: administering to said patient an effective amount of each of a direct-acting antiviral, pegylated interferon alfa-2a, and ribavirin; wherein the abbreviated HCV treatment regimen is less than 48 weeks. Also disclosed herein is a method of detecting an rs12979860 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in a hepatitis C virus (HCV) infected patient comprising: detecting the rs12979860 SNP of chromosome 19 in a biological sample from a patient, wherein an rs12979860 SNP C/C patient is administered an abbreviated treatment regimen with a direct-acting antiviral agent in combination with peginterferon alfa-2a and ribavirin; and wherein the abbreviated HCV treatment regimen is less than 48 weeks.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2011
    Publication date: May 3, 2012
    Applicant: Pharmasset, Inc.
    Inventors: MIRIAM MICHELLE BERREY, Peter Schaefer Price, JR., William T. Symonds
  • Patent number: 8110774
    Abstract: A laser welding method includes providing a storage medium containing stored data about possible welding defects and associated repair welding parameters, welding a workpiece with a laser to produce weldings on the workpiece, monitoring the produced weldings for defective weldings, and, in response to detecting a defective welding from among the monitored weldings: comparing the defective welding with the stored data about possible welding defects; selecting repair welding parameters from among the associated repair welding parameters based on the comparison; and then performing a repair welding in a region of the detected defective welding in accordance with the selected repair welding parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2012
    Assignee: Trumpf Laser GmbH + Co. KG
    Inventors: Martin Huonker, Peter Schaefer
  • Publication number: 20110284521
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for operating a diesel fuel filter heater comprising at least one PTC element, in a motor vehicle. According to the invention, a glow plug control device is used to generate an effective voltage from a vehicle system voltage using pulse width modulation, which is then applied at the filter heater.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 18, 2011
    Publication date: November 24, 2011
    Inventors: Peter Schaefer, Clement Rinkert
  • Patent number: 8017888
    Abstract: The description discloses a glow plug system for a Diesel engine of a motor vehicle having a glow plug (RG1, RG2) which comprises a positive terminal for connecting a supply voltage (U1) and a ground terminal for connecting to a ground potential (GND), a controlling device (1) for controlling the electric power supplied to the glow plug (RG1, RG2) in operation, whereby the controlling device (1) comprises a measurement input (ADC1) and a ground input (ADC2) in order to determine, in operation, a measured value of the supply voltage (U1) in relation to a reference potential (GND?) applied to the ground input (ADC2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2011
    Assignee: Bern Autiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Martin Blanc, Peter Schäfer, Gerd Bräuchle