Patents by Inventor Ralf Pfeifer
Ralf Pfeifer 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: 20210389160Abstract: A sensor arrangement for controlling a function in a motor vehicle comprises an electric coil for providing a magnetic field; a magnetic field sensor; and a magnetic flux element for conducting the magnetic field between the coil and the magnetic field sensor. The magnetic flux element may be supported such that it can move, and shaped such that the magnetic field in the range of the magnetic field sensor is dependent on a position of the flux element. Furthermore, there may be a processor for determining the position of the flux element based on the magnetic field determined by means of the magnetic field sensor.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 23, 2019Publication date: December 16, 2021Applicant: ZF Friedrichshafen AGInventor: Ralf Pfeifer
-
Patent number: 10651847Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a shift device for a control system for a vehicle. The shift device may include at least one optical fiber for conducting a light signal, where the light signal has an input characteristic when entering the shift device, and where the light signal has an output characteristic when exiting the shift device. The shift device may further include a control element, where the control element can be moved between a home position, a first actuation position, and a second actuation position by an actuation force. The control element may have an adjustment device for adjusting the characteristic of the light signal, where the adjustment device is configured to set the output characteristic of the light signal to a first value when the control element is in the home position.Type: GrantFiled: September 29, 2015Date of Patent: May 12, 2020Assignees: ZF Friedrichshafen AG, Lemförder Electronic GmbHInventors: Andreas Peukert, Ralf Pfeifer
-
Patent number: 10563756Abstract: The current embodiments provide a control lever. The control lever may have a first connection unit with a plurality of inputs and at least one output. The at least one output may be configured for outputting an operation signal that represents the position of the control lever. The number of inputs of the plurality of inputs may exceed the number of outputs of the at least one output. The first connection unit may be configured to couple a first input of the plurality of inputs to the at least one output at a first point in time, and the connection unit may be configured to connect a second input of the plurality of inputs to the at least one output at a second point in time subsequent to the first point in time.Type: GrantFiled: October 15, 2014Date of Patent: February 18, 2020Assignees: ZF Friedrichshafen AG, Lemförder Electronic GmbHInventors: Ralf Pfeifer, Andreas Peukert
-
Publication number: 20190376815Abstract: A gear selection apparatus for a vehicle may include a first contact strip and a second contact strip. The first contact strip may include a plurality of low level contact surfaces and a plurality of high level contact surfaces, where the low level contact surfaces are configured to connect to a low level connection for applying a low voltage level, and where the high level contact surfaces are configured to connect to a high level connection for applying a high voltage level. The second contact strip may include a plurality of signal contact surfaces, where the signal contact surfaces are configured to connect to at least six signal connections for tapping a signal combination.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 22, 2018Publication date: December 12, 2019Applicant: ZF Friedrichshafen AGInventor: Ralf Pfeifer
-
Patent number: 10281029Abstract: In one general aspect, the present disclosure is related to a sensor device for detecting selector lever positions of a selector lever for a motor vehicle. The sensor device may include at least four sensors and a code carrier, where the code carrier is arranged such that it is faced by the at least four sensors. The code carrier may be movable with respect to the at least four sensors. The code carrier may be attached to the selector lever. The code carrier may include several coding areas each with an encoding. The code carrier can thus be referred to as coding carrier. The encoding of the individual coding areas can be read by using the sensors.Type: GrantFiled: February 11, 2016Date of Patent: May 7, 2019Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AGInventor: Ralf Pfeifer
-
Patent number: 10184559Abstract: A device for selecting an operating mode of a transmission of a vehicle is presented. The device has a control panel thereby, having at least one selector switch for selecting an operating mode, and one release switch for enabling a function of the at least one selector switch. The release switch has a touch sensitive button, serving as a first interface to a sensor circuit for enabling the function of the at least one selector switch. The sensor circuit has a second interface on an actuator for a driving function of the vehicle thereby. The sensor circuit can be closed by producing an electrically conductive connection between the first interface and the second interface via a driver region of an interior space of the vehicle.Type: GrantFiled: September 26, 2014Date of Patent: January 22, 2019Assignees: ZF Friedrichshafen AG, Lemförder Electronic GmbHInventors: Ralf Pfeifer, Andreas Peukert
-
Patent number: 9897203Abstract: A gear change lever device for a vehicle transmission with a holder, a gear change lever movably arranged on a holder and comprising a gripping surface, wherein the gear change lever can be moved to pre-determined positions (P, R, N, D), a sensor device, by which the current position of the gear change lever can be detected, an evaluation device coupled to the sensor device for the control of transmission, by means of which in cooperation with the sensor device a change in the gear change lever position can be recognized, and at least one touch sensor coupled to the evaluation device and arranged on the gear change lever in the area of the grip surface, by means of which a human touch of the grip surface can be detected and information about the touch state of the gripping surface can be sent to evaluation device.Type: GrantFiled: November 11, 2013Date of Patent: February 20, 2018Assignee: ZF FRIEDRICHSHAFEN AGInventor: Ralf Pfeifer
-
Publication number: 20180038477Abstract: In one general aspect, the present disclosure is related to a sensor device for detecting selector lever positions of a selector lever for a motor vehicle. The sensor device may include at least four sensors and a code carrier, where the code carrier is arranged such that it is faced by the at least four sensors. The code carrier may be movable with respect to the at least four sensors. The code carrier may be attached to the selector lever. The code carrier may include several coding areas each with an encoding. The code carrier can thus be referred to as coding carrier. The encoding of the individual coding areas can be read by using the sensors.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 11, 2016Publication date: February 8, 2018Applicant: ZF Friedrichshafen AGInventor: Ralf Pfeifer
-
Publication number: 20170321801Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a shift device for a control system for a vehicle. The shift device may include at least one optical fiber for conducting a light signal, where the light signal has an input characteristic when entering the shift device, and where the light signal has an output characteristic when exiting the shift device. The shift device may further include a control element, where the control element can be moved between a home position, a first actuation position, and a second actuation position by an actuation force. The control element may have an adjustment device for adjusting the characteristic of the light signal, where the adjustment device is configured to set the output characteristic of the light signal to a first value when the control element is in the home position.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 29, 2015Publication date: November 9, 2017Applicants: ZF Friedrichshafen AG, Lemförder Electronic GmbHInventors: Andreas Peukert, Ralf Pfeifer
-
Patent number: 9644732Abstract: A sensor device having at least one sensor element, such as a Hall sensor element, and at least one magnet element that can move in relation to the sensor element. The sensor element has a number of differently magnetized regions. The sensor element is configured to issue a sensor signal, which represents a condition defined by a magnetization of a region of the magnet element located in the measurement range of the sensor element. The sensor element determines the condition by means of one of at least three pre-defined sensor signal values.Type: GrantFiled: November 15, 2012Date of Patent: May 9, 2017Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AGInventors: Ralf Pfeifer, Andreas Peukert
-
Publication number: 20160305539Abstract: The current embodiments provide a control lever. The control lever may have a first connection unit with a plurality of inputs and at least one output. The at least one output may be configured for outputting an operation signal that represents the position of the control lever. The number of inputs of the plurality of inputs may exceed the number of outputs of the at least one output. The first connection unit may be configured to couple a first input of the plurality of inputs to the at least one output at a first point in time, and the connection unit may be configured to connect a second input of the plurality of inputs to the at least one output at a second point in time subsequent to the first point in time.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 15, 2014Publication date: October 20, 2016Applicants: ZF Friedrichshafen AG, Lemförder Electronic GmbHInventors: Ralf Pfeifer, Andreas Peukert
-
Publication number: 20160252177Abstract: A device for selecting an operating mode of a transmission of a vehicle is presented. The device has a control panel thereby, having at least one selector switch for selecting an operating mode, and one release switch for enabling a function of the at least one selector switch. The release switch has a touch sensitive button, serving as a first interface to a sensor circuit for enabling the function of the at least one selector switch. The sensor circuit has a second interface on an actuator for a driving function of the vehicle thereby. The sensor circuit can be closed by producing an electrically conductive connection between the first interface and the second interface via a driver region of an interior space of the vehicle.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 26, 2014Publication date: September 1, 2016Applicants: ZF Friedrichshafen AG, Lemförder Electronic GMBHInventors: Ralf PFEIFER, Andreas PEUKERT
-
Publication number: 20160151934Abstract: A method to control a power tool including the method steps: specifying the rotational speed of the drive at a first value, measuring a first amplitude of a signal, filtering the signal within a frequency range, measuring a second amplitude of the filtered signal, reducing the rotational speed of the drive to a second value if the first amplitude exceeds a first quantity and if the second amplitude exceeds a second quantity, and incrementally increasing the rotational speed of the drive to the first value, whereby each incremental increase of the rotational speed only takes place once the first amplitude remains below the first quantity for a time interval, and the second amplitude remains below the second quantity. A power tool that uses this method, includes: a drive, an acceleration sensor a filter, and a control unit.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 18, 2014Publication date: June 2, 2016Inventors: Ralf Pfeifer, Tobias Drexi
-
Publication number: 20160144840Abstract: A method for generating an emergency braking signal for a vehicle is proposed. The vehicle has a main brake system and a drive system thereby. The method is characterized by a step for detecting a vehicle emergency, representing a reduced or impaired braking effect of the main brake system, using at least one sensor signal that has been read in, and a step for generating the emergency braking signal as a function of the detected vehicle emergency. The main brake system, the drive system, a supplementary brake system and/or at least one further on board installation of the vehicle can be activated by means of the emergency braking signal thereby, in order to cause or support an emergency braking procedure of the vehicle.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 26, 2014Publication date: May 26, 2016Applicant: ZF Friedrichshafen AGInventor: Ralf PFEIFER
-
Publication number: 20150345625Abstract: A gear change lever device for a vehicle transmission with a holder, a gear change lever movably arranged on a holder and comprising a gripping surface, wherein the gear change lever can be moved to pre-determined positions (P, R, N, D), a sensor device, by which the current position of the gear change lever can be detected, an evaluation device coupled to the sensor device for the control of transmission, by means of which in cooperation with the sensor device a change in the gear change lever position can be recognized, and at least one touch sensor coupled to the evaluation device and arranged on the gear change lever in the area of the grip surface, by means of which a human touch of the grip surface can be detected and information about the touch state of the gripping surface can be sent to evaluation device.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 11, 2013Publication date: December 3, 2015Inventor: Ralf PFEIFER
-
Publication number: 20140345408Abstract: A sensor device having at least one sensor element, such as a Hall sensor element, and at least one magnet element that can move in relation to the sensor element. The sensor element has a number of differently magnetized regions. The sensor element is configured to issue a sensor signal, which represents a condition defined by a magnetization of a region of the magnet element located in the measurement range of the sensor element. The sensor element determines the condition by means of one of at least three pre-defined sensor signal values.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 15, 2012Publication date: November 27, 2014Inventors: Ralf Pfeifer, Andreas Peukert
-
Publication number: 20140331804Abstract: This invention relates to a system for selecting switching steps of a shift-by-wire gear change drive, which features a key arrangement with at least two keys and means for generating electrical signals for transmission to the shift-by-wire gear change drive. This invention specifies an activation control system with which can prevent errors and can lift out a key from a lowered position. The activation control system also features a pressure pad located below the keys.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 19, 2012Publication date: November 13, 2014Inventors: Ralf Pfeifer, Andreas Giefer
-
Patent number: 8128526Abstract: The invention relates to a limited slip differential, more particularly for being used in the driveline of a motor vehicle. The limited slip differential 2 comprises a carrier element 3 which is rotatingly drivable around an axis of rotation A; a plurality of planetary gears 4 which rotate around the axis of rotation A together with the carrier element 3; a hollow gear 5 which is supported so as to be rotatable around the axis of rotation A and which engages at least some of the planetary gears 4; an adapter gear 7 which engages either the hollow gear 5 or the sun gear 6 via a toothed coupling 12 for the purpose of transmitting torque, and wherein the toothed coupling 12 comprises a first face toothing 14 at an end face of the adapter gear 7 and a second face toothing 13 at an end face of the gear engaging the adapter gear.Type: GrantFiled: September 12, 2008Date of Patent: March 6, 2012Assignee: GKN Driveline International GmbHInventors: Michael Engelmann, Ralf Pfeifer
-
Publication number: 20090069139Abstract: The invention relates to a limited slip differential, more particularly for being used in the driveline of a motor vehicle. The limited slip differential 2 comprises a carrier element 3 which is rotatingly drivable around an axis of rotation A; a plurality of planetary gears 4 which rotate around the axis of rotation A together with the carrier element 3; a hollow gear 5 which is supported so as to be rotatable around the axis of rotation A and which engages at least some of the planetary gears 4; an adapter gear 7 which engages either the hollow gear 5 or the sun gear 6 via a toothed coupling 12 for the purpose of transmitting torque, and wherein the toothed coupling 12 comprises a first face toothing 14 at an end face of the adapter gear 7 and a second face toothing 13 at an end face of the gear engaging the adapter gear.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 12, 2008Publication date: March 12, 2009Inventors: Michael Engelmann, Ralf Pfeifer