Patents by Inventor Reinhard Unterreitmayer

Reinhard Unterreitmayer 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: 10198100
    Abstract: An electrode device for a capacitive sensor device and a circuit arrangement for a capacitive sensor device for the operation of an electrode device are provided, wherein the electrode device has a first electrode structure with at least one transmitting electrode and at least one receiving electrode, and a second electrode structure with at least one field sensing electrode, wherein the electrode device or the capacitive sensor device can be operated in a first operation mode and in a second operation mode. In addition a method is provided for approach and/or touch detection with a sensor device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2019
    Assignee: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY GERMANY GMBH
    Inventors: Claus Kaltner, Reinhard Unterreitmayer, Holger Steffens
  • Publication number: 20160041639
    Abstract: An electrode device for a capacitive sensor device and a circuit arrangement for a capacitive sensor device for the operation of an electrode device are provided, wherein the electrode device has a first electrode structure with at least one transmitting electrode and at least one receiving electrode, and a second electrode structure with at least one field sensing electrode, wherein the electrode device or the capacitive sensor device can be operated in a first operation mode and in a second operation mode. In addition a method is provided for approach and/or touch detection with a sensor device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2015
    Publication date: February 11, 2016
    Applicant: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY GERMANY GMBH
    Inventors: Claus Kaltner, Reinhard Unterreitmayer, Holger Steffens
  • Patent number: 9236860
    Abstract: An electrical hand-held device is provided with improved proximity detection, which can be placed on a surface and has at least one transmission electrode, at least one reception electrode and at least one compensation electrode arranged between transmission electrode and reception electrode. The transmission electrode and the compensation electrode can be supplied with an electric switching signal of predetermined signal frequency and predetermined signal amplitude. Switching electric signal at the compensation electrode is phase-delayed with respect to the switching electric signal at the transmission electrode. Alternating electric fields radiated at the transmission electrode and the compensation electrode generate a current in the reception electrode, which is representative of an approach of a hand to the hand-held device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2016
    Assignee: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY GERMANY GMBH
    Inventors: Reinhard Unterreitmayer, Claus Kaltner, Holger Steffens, Stefan Donat
  • Patent number: 9166581
    Abstract: An electrode device for a capacitive sensor device and a circuit arrangement for a capacitive sensor device for the operation of an electrode device are provided, wherein the electrode device has a first electrode structure with at least one transmitting electrode and at least one receiving electrode, and a second electrode structure with at least one field sensing electrode, wherein the electrode device or the capacitive sensor device can be operated in a first operation mode and in a second operation mode. In addition a method is provided for approach and/or touch detection with a sensor device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2015
    Assignee: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY GERMANY GMBH
    Inventors: Claus Kaltner, Reinhard Unterreitmayer, Holger Steffens
  • Patent number: 9141174
    Abstract: An electrical hand-held device is provided with improved proximity detection, which can be placed on a surface and has at least one transmission electrode, at least one reception electrode and at least one compensation electrode arranged between transmission electrode and reception electrode. The transmission electrode and the compensation electrode can be supplied with an electric switching signal of predetermined signal frequency and predetermined signal amplitude. Switching electric signal at the compensation electrode is phase-delayed with respect to the switching electric signal at the transmission electrode. Alternating electric fields radiated at the transmission electrode and the compensation electrode generate a current in the reception electrode, which is representative of an approach of a hand to the hand-held device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2015
    Assignee: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY GERMANY GMBH
    Inventors: Reinhard Unterreitmayer, Stefan Donat
  • Patent number: 9124273
    Abstract: A sensor device is provided, with a first electrode structure and a second electrode structure, wherein the first electrode structure has a transmitting electrode, a compensation electrode and a reception electrode and wherein the second electrode structure has a number of field sensing electrodes. The first and the second electrode structure are coupled with an evaluating device. The evaluating device has a signal generator for supplying the transmitting electrode and the compensation electrode with an alternating electrical signal. The reception electrode, the transmitting electrode, the compensation electrode and the field sensing electrodes are arranged in relation to each other in such a way that a first alternating electrical field emitted at the transmitting electrode may be coupled into the reception electrode and into one of the field sensing electrodes and a second alternating electrical field emitted at the compensation electrode may be coupled substantially only into the reception electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2015
    Assignee: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY GERMANY GMBH
    Inventor: Reinhard Unterreitmayer
  • Patent number: 9124274
    Abstract: A device for an electric hand-held device for detecting the hand-held device being clasped by a hand, has at least one transmitting electrode, which can emit an alternating electric field, and at least one receiving electrode, in which the alternating electric field can be coupled at least partially, wherein the at least one transmitting electrode and the at least one receiving electrode can be arranged on the hand-held device such that each of them is at least partially covered by the hand when the hand-held device is being clasped by the hand. When the hand-held device is being clasped by the hand, a first portion of the alternating electric field emitted by the transmitting electrode can be coupled via the hand into the receiving electrode, wherein at least the first portion of the alternating electric field is a characteristic representative of the hand-held device being clasped by the hand.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2015
    Assignee: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY GERMANY GMBH II & CO. KG
    Inventors: Claus Kaltner, Reinhard Unterreitmayer
  • Publication number: 20140191969
    Abstract: An electrical hand-held device is provided with improved proximity detection, which can be placed on a surface and has at least one transmission electrode, at least one reception electrode and at least one compensation electrode arranged between transmission electrode and reception electrode. The transmission electrode and the compensation electrode can be supplied with an electric switching signal of predetermined signal frequency and predetermined signal amplitude. Switching electric signal at the compensation electrode is phase-delayed with respect to the switching electric signal at the transmission electrode. Alternating electric fields radiated at the transmission electrode and the compensation electrode generate a current in the reception electrode, which is representative of an approach of a hand to the hand-held device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 22, 2013
    Publication date: July 10, 2014
    Inventors: Reinhard Unterreitmayer, Stefan Donat
  • Patent number: 8493074
    Abstract: An electrical hand-held device with proximity detection can be placed on a surface and has at least one transmission electrode, at least one reception electrode, and at least one compensation electrode between the transmission and reception electrodes. The transmission and compensation electrodes can be supplied with electric switching signals of predetermined frequency and amplitude. The electric switching signal at the compensation electrode is phase-delayed with respect to the electric signal at the transmission electrode. Alternating electric fields radiated at the transmission and compensation electrodes generate in the reception electrode a current that is representative of an approach of a hand to the hand-held device. The transmission and reception electrodes are arranged such that the impedance between the transmission and the reception electrodes exceeds a predetermined value suitable to keep the current generated in the reception electrode under a predetermined value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2013
    Assignee: Ident Technology AG
    Inventors: Reinhard Unterreitmayer, Stefan Donat
  • Publication number: 20130057303
    Abstract: A device for an electric hand-held device for detecting the hand-held device being clasped by a hand, has at least one transmitting electrode, which can emit an alternating electric field, and at least one receiving electrode, in which the alternating electric field can be coupled at least partially, wherein the at least one transmitting electrode and the at least one receiving electrode can be arranged on the hand-held device such that each of them is at least partially covered by the hand when the hand-held device is being clasped by the hand. When the hand-held device is being clasped by the hand, a first portion of the alternating electric field emitted by the transmitting electrode can be coupled via the hand into the receiving electrode, wherein at least the first portion of the alternating electric field is a characteristic representative of the hand-held device being clasped by the hand.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 13, 2010
    Publication date: March 7, 2013
    Inventors: Claus Kaltner, Reinhard Unterreitmayer
  • Publication number: 20130057299
    Abstract: A sensor device is provided, with a first electrode structure and a second electrode structure, wherein the first electrode structure has a transmitting electrode, a compensation electrode and a reception electrode and wherein the second electrode structure has a number of field sensing electrodes. The first and the second electrode structure are coupled with an evaluating device. The evaluating device has a signal generator for supplying the transmitting electrode and the compensation electrode with an alternating electrical signal. The reception electrode, the transmitting electrode, the compensation electrode and the field sensing electrodes are arranged in relation to each other in such a way that a first alternating electrical field emitted at the transmitting electrode may be coupled into the reception electrode and into one of the field sensing electrodes and a second alternating electrical field emitted at the compensation electrode may be coupled substantially only into the reception electrode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 3, 2010
    Publication date: March 7, 2013
    Inventor: Reinhard Unterreitmayer
  • Publication number: 20120026121
    Abstract: An electrical hand-held device is provided with improved proximity detection, which can be placed on a surface and has at least one transmission electrode, at least one reception electrode and at least one compensation electrode arranged between transmission electrode and reception electrode. The transmission electrode and the compensation electrode can be supplied with an electric switching signal of predetermined signal frequency and predetermined signal amplitude. Switching electric signal at the compensation electrode is phase-delayed with respect to the switching electric signal at the transmission electrode. Alternating electric fields radiated at the transmission electrode and the compensation electrode generate a current in the reception electrode, which is representative of an approach of a hand to the hand-held device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 7, 2010
    Publication date: February 2, 2012
    Inventors: Reinhard Unterreitmayer, Claus Kaltner, Holger Steffens, Stefan Donat
  • Publication number: 20110025345
    Abstract: An electrical hand-held device is provided with improved proximity detection, which can be placed on a surface and has at least one transmission electrode, at least one reception electrode and at least one compensation electrode arranged between transmission electrode and reception electrode. The transmission electrode and the compensation electrode can be supplied with an electric switching signal of predetermined signal frequency and predetermined signal amplitude. Switching electric signal at the compensation electrode is phase-delayed with respect to the switching electric signal at the transmission electrode. Alternating electric fields radiated at the transmission electrode and the compensation electrode generate a current in the reception electrode, which is representative of an approach of a hand to the hand-held device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 16, 2009
    Publication date: February 3, 2011
    Inventor: Reinhard Unterreitmayer
  • Publication number: 20110012584
    Abstract: The invention relates to a safety system for detecting the presence of living beings inside a lockable, or alternatively dangerous housing area, particularly the washing housing area of a washing machine or of a clothes dryer, of a stove, of a microwave oven, as well as particularly also in closets and chests.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2009
    Publication date: January 20, 2011
    Inventors: Artem Ivanov, Reinhard Unterreitmayer