Patents by Inventor Ralf Held

Ralf Held 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: 10328937
    Abstract: The invention relates to the operation of a motor vehicle having a long-distance driver assistance system comprising at least one sensor which detects the area in front of a vehicle, and a control device which is designed to detect another motor vehicle traveling ahead, in order to drive the motor vehicle relative to the other vehicle traveling ahead when the driver assistance system is activated and operationally ready, wherein the activated driver assistance system can be deactivated from a control or regulating mode by driver activity, wherein upon deactivation, the system may enter into a system standby mode continuously detecting the area in front of the motor vehicle, and can reactivate autonomously once another motor vehicle traveling ahead is detected and a drag deceleration is required to reduce a velocity difference between the operated motor vehicle and the other vehicle traveling ahead.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2019
    Assignee: AUDI AG
    Inventors: Stefan Schuberth, Ralf Held, Jörg Hösterei
  • Patent number: 10029684
    Abstract: Method for operating a longitudinal driver assistance system (13) of a motor vehicle (12) which is designed to regulate the speed of the motor vehicle (12) to a control speed, wherein—depending on environment data describing the operating environment in which the motor vehicle (12) is currently operated—the control speed can be changed from a desired speed (3) provided by a driver to a target speed (5) (which is provided for an upcoming operating environment (2) and/or can be determined from the environment data), wherein, when there is a change of the desired speed (3) to a new target speed (5) for an upcoming operating environment (2), for a predetermined time period and/or a predetermined distance in the upcoming operating environment (2), an intermediate speed (6) deviating from the target speed (5) in the direction of the current speed of the motor vehicle (12) is initially regulated to, which intermediate speed (6) is between the current speed of the motor vehicle (12) and the target speed (5), before t
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2018
    Assignee: Audi AG
    Inventors: Stefan Schuberth, Ralf Held, Florian Brücklmaier
  • Publication number: 20180015921
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for operating a motor vehicle (1) having a long-distance driver assistance system (2) comprising at least one sensor (3) which detects the area in front of a vehicle, and a control device (4) which is designed to detect a vehicle traveling ahead as a function of sensor information and to output control or regulating commands to one or more of the vehicle components (5, 6) used for long-distance driving in order to drive the motor vehicle (1) relative to the vehicle ahead when the driver assistance system (2) is activated and operationally ready, wherein the activated and operationally ready driver assistance system (2) can be deactivated from a control or regulating mode by a driver activity and vice versa, wherein, when no vehicle ahead is detected by the activated driver assistance system (2) and the driver assistance system (2) is deactivated by a driver activity, detection of the area in front of the vehicle is continuously carried out and, when a vehicle ahead is detecte
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2015
    Publication date: January 18, 2018
    Applicant: AUDI AG
    Inventors: Stefan SCHUBERTH, Ralf HELD, Jörg HÖSTEREI
  • Publication number: 20180015920
    Abstract: Method for operating a longitudinal driver assistance system (13) of a motor vehicle (12) which is designed to regulate the speed of the motor vehicle (12) to a control speed, wherein—depending on environment data describing the operating environment in which the motor vehicle (12) is currently operated—the control speed can be changed from a desired speed (3) provided by a driver to a target speed (5) (which is provided for an upcoming operating environment (2) and/or can be determined from the environment data), wherein, when there is a change of the desired speed (3) to a new target speed (5) for an upcoming operating environment (2), for a predetermined time period and/or a predetermined distance in the upcoming operating environment (2), an intermediate speed (6) deviating from the target speed (5) in the direction of the current speed of the motor vehicle (12) is initially regulated to, which intermediate speed (6) is between the current speed of the motor vehicle (12) and the target speed (5), before t
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2015
    Publication date: January 18, 2018
    Inventors: Stefan SCHUBERTH, Ralf HELD, Florian BRÜCKLMAIER
  • Patent number: 9862272
    Abstract: Method for operating a longitudinal driver assistance system (2) of a motor vehicle (1), which controls, in a pure follow mode, the speed of the motor vehicle (1) such that a distance to a vehicle in front as the control object remains constant, and which, in a free travel mode, controls the speed to a desired speed, a likelihood of the vehicle (14) in front of pulling out being determined depending on sensor data of at least one ambient sensor. The control with respect to the vehicle (14) in front and/or the control in the free travel mode is modified or ended directly after termination of the follow mode depending on the pulling-out likelihood.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: AUDI AG
    Inventors: Stefan Schuberth, Ralf Held
  • Patent number: 9043115
    Abstract: In a method for operating a longitudinally guiding driver assist system of a motor vehicle, wherein a comfort curve speed is determined as a function of curve data, wherein the curve data are commensurate with at least one curve to be driven through next by the motor vehicle, wherein a target speed is determined as a function of the curve comfort speed at a defined point of the curve, and wherein the speed of the motor vehicle is adjusted as a function of at least the target speed of the motor vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2015
    Assignee: AUDI AG
    Inventors: Stefan Schuberth, Ralf Held
  • Publication number: 20140156164
    Abstract: Method for operating a longitudinal driver assistance system (2) of a motor vehicle (1), which controls, in a pure follow mode, the speed of the motor vehicle (1) such that a distance to a vehicle in front as the control object remains constant, and which, in a free travel mode, controls the speed to a desired speed, a likelihood of the vehicle (14) in front of pulling out being determined depending on sensor data of at least one ambient sensor. The control with respect to the vehicle (14) in front and/or the control in the free travel mode is modified or ended directly after termination of the follow mode depending on the pulling-out likelihood.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 8, 2012
    Publication date: June 5, 2014
    Applicant: AUDI AG
    Inventors: Stefan Schuberth, Ralf Held
  • Publication number: 20130138319
    Abstract: In a method for operating a longitudinally guiding driver assist system of a motor vehicle, wherein a comfort curve speed is determined as a function of curve data, wherein the curve data are commensurate with at least one curve to be driven through next by the motor vehicle, wherein a target speed is determined as a function of the curve comfort speed at a defined point of the curve, and wherein the speed of the motor vehicle is adjusted as a function of at least the target speed of the motor vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 24, 2012
    Publication date: May 30, 2013
    Applicant: Audi AG
    Inventors: Stefan Schuberth, Ralf Held