Patents by Inventor Ralph Klingel

Ralph Klingel 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: 11945501
    Abstract: A method for operating a lane guidance system involves determining a time period from the time of a request from the lane guidance system to a vehicle user to touch the steering handle until the occurrence of a sensor signal caused by a touch of the steering handle in the sensor region and comparing it with a predetermined time window. An activation option of the lane guidance system is blocked in the event that the determined time duration is greater than the predetermined time window. In the event of a first request to touch the steering handle after an idle state, an activation option of the lane guidance system is disabled until a subsequent idle state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: MERCEDES-BENZ GROUP AG
    Inventors: Constantin Herget, Markus Dick, Ralph Klingel
  • Publication number: 20220073138
    Abstract: A method for operating a lane guidance system involves determining a time period from the time of a request from the lane guidance system to a vehicle user to touch the steering handle until the occurrence of a sensor signal caused by a touch of the steering handle in the sensor region and comparing it with a predetermined time window. An activation option of the lane guidance system is blocked in the event that the determined time duration is greater than the predetermined time window. In the event of a first request to touch the steering handle after an idle state, an activation option of the lane guidance system is disabled until a subsequent idle state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 16, 2020
    Publication date: March 10, 2022
    Inventors: Constantin HERGET, Markus DICK, Ralph KLINGEL
  • Patent number: 6519515
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for testing the functioning of a driving dynamics control sensor system of a vehicle, said sensor comprising a yaw rate sensor, a transverse acceleration sensor and/or a steering angle sensor. According to the invention, the measuring signal values supplied by the driving dynamics control sensor system in the momentary test starting state of the vehicle are established as the starting values at the beginning of a testing operation. The measuring signal values that are supplied continuously throughout a subsequent test drive, which includes driving around a bend at a predetermined longitudinal speed, are compared with said starting values during said test drive. An error by the sensor system is detected depending on the results of the comparison of the measuring signal values supplied during the test drive with the corresponding starting values. The invention also relates to the use of the inventive method for e.g.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2003
    Assignee: DaimlerChrysler AG
    Inventors: Matthias Baumann, Ralph Klingel
  • Patent number: 6438482
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a vehicle stabilizing device and a method for modifying brake pressures on wheels of a vehicle according to input data. To achieve an optimum from the driver's desire to brake, the vehicle stabilization, the steerability of the vehicle, and from the pedal and sound comfort, the present invention discloses a variation of the brake pressures on at least one wheel according to a way of influencing an intervention unit that provides a plurality of influencing cycles or influencing strategies, the said influencing being determined by the brake pressure effected by the driver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2002
    Assignees: Continental Teves AG & Co., oHG, Daimler Chrysler AG
    Inventors: Mathias Baumann, Torsten Herrmann, Marc Haussmann, Ralph Klingel
  • Patent number: 5601347
    Abstract: A method for electronic traction systems using brake intervention on the low-adhesion wheel damps and thereby substantially avoids the undesired traction control oscillations, such as pull-away tramping and drive train oscillations. In particular, an interchange of the low-adhesion wheel to be controlled from one driving wheel to the other is undertaken only when the rotational speed of the previous high-adhesion wheel is greater by a certain amount than that of the previous low-adhesion wheel and when there is no longer any controlling brake pressure at the latter. Also or in addition, the threshold value for the activation of the brake intervention is set to increase traction dynamically by suitably raising the threshold value when drive train oscillation behavior is recognized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 1995
    Date of Patent: February 11, 1997
    Assignee: Mercedes-Benz AG
    Inventors: Gerhard Fischle, Matthias Baumann, Ralph Klingel, Carola Pfister
  • Patent number: 5597215
    Abstract: A method for increasing the drive torque achieves the action of a differential lock in that controlled brake engagement takes place on one side of a driven axle provided that there is a speed difference between the wheels on the different sides of a driven vehicle axle which exceeds a threshold value. The regulation engagement is started even when there are only small speed differences between the wheels on the two sides of the driven axle. A reference velocity of the vehicle is determined and, on the basis of the determined reference velocity, wheel calibration and cornering correction take place, and thereafter, the speed difference is determined therefrom. The speed difference thus determined is substantially based on the difference in the adhesion on both sides of this axle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 1995
    Date of Patent: January 28, 1997
    Assignee: Mercedes-Benz AG
    Inventors: Gerhard Fischle, Matthias Baumann, Ralph Klingel, Thomas Mieslinger, Carola Pfister
  • Patent number: 5564800
    Abstract: A method controls the driving stability in the event of increased slip at the driving wheels of a motor vehicle having an electronic traction system with braking intervention at the driving wheels. With excessive high-adhesion wheel slip, synchronous braking intervention on both sides is undertaken at the driving wheels when the vehicle is travelling around a curve. A reduction takes place in the brake pressure at the low-adhesion wheel, as used for controlling drive slip or increasing traction, when the vehicle is travelling in a straight line, the high-adhesion wheel slip is used as the control parameter in either situation. This method permits braking interventions at the driving wheels for the purpose of controlling drive slip and/or for increasing traction while still maintaining a high level of driving stability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 1995
    Date of Patent: October 15, 1996
    Assignee: Mercedes-Benz AG
    Inventors: Gerhard Fischle, Matthias Baumann, Ralph Klingel, Carola Pfister
  • Patent number: 5524974
    Abstract: A method provides a continuous indirect termination of the braking-surface temperature for vehicles having a wheel-slip control system using active brake actions, in which the instantaneous temperature value is reduced cyclically up to, at most, a predetermined minimum temperature by a decrement allowing for the cooling and, if brake activation is recognized, is additionally increased by a heating increment. This increment is ascertained solely by recording the wheel speeds or from data of a possibly present brake-valve control, for example a wheel-slip control system, and from filed characteristic diagrams obtained empirically. This provides a reliable estimation of brake temperature at a minimum outlay in terms of sensors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 1995
    Date of Patent: June 11, 1996
    Assignee: Mercedes-Benz AG
    Inventors: Gerhard Fischle, Ralph Klingel