Patents by Inventor Robert Lalla
Robert Lalla 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).
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Patent number: 12281924Abstract: The measuring system comprises a vibration-type measuring sensor, a sensor housing, a magnetic-field detector, and measuring-system electronics electrically coupled both to an oscillation exciter and to oscillation-sensing devices of the measuring sensor. The measuring sensor is inside the sensor housing and the magnetic-field detector is outside the sensor housing. The magnetic-field detector is designed to convert changes in the magnetic field into a magnetic-field signal having an amplitude dependent on a magnetic flux through the magnetic-field detector and/or on an area density of said magnetic flux. The measuring-system electronics are designed to determine, on the basis of oscillation measurement signals of the measuring sensor, the mass-flow-rate measurement values representing the mass flow rate and to at least qualitatively determine, on the basis of the magnetic-field signal, whether an external magnetic field is established inside the measuring sensor.Type: GrantFiled: November 20, 2020Date of Patent: April 22, 2025Assignee: Endress+Hauser Flowtec AGInventors: Alfred Rieder, Robert Lalla, Marcel Braun, Ennio Bitto, Johan Pohl
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Publication number: 20250093189Abstract: A measuring device for determining density, mass flow rate and/or viscosity of a flowable medium includes: an oscillator including at least one oscillatable measuring tube for conveying the medium, and having at least one oscillatory mode, whose eigenfrequency depends on density of the medium; an exciter for exciting the oscillatory mode; at least one oscillation sensor for registering oscillations of the oscillator; and an operating-evaluating circuit, which is adapted to supply the exciter with an excitation signal, to register signals of the oscillation sensor, based on the signals of the oscillation sensor to ascertain current values of the eigenfrequency of the oscillator as well as variations of the eigenfrequency, and to determine a value characterizing density variations of the medium, wherein the value depends on a function, which is proportional to the variation of the eigenfrequency and has an eigenfrequency dependent normalization.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 18, 2024Publication date: March 20, 2025Inventors: Hao Zhu, Alfred Rieder, Yaoying Lin, Robert Lalla, Reinhard Huber
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Publication number: 20250081359Abstract: A transmitter housing of an automation field device is a single-chamber housing with an aperture. The field device comprises a printed circuit board arranged in the transmitter housing, the printed circuit board comprising: a first rigid and flat section and a second rigid and flat section; at least one flexible and bent section; wherein both rigid sections are connected to each other only via the at least one flexible, bent section, wherein the first rigid section is accessible from the aperture and forms a connecting region comprising at least one connecting element for connecting at least one cable, and wherein the first rigid section and the second rigid section are arranged relative to each other at a first angle of between 60° and 120°, in particular between 80° and 100°.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 22, 2022Publication date: March 6, 2025Inventors: Robert Lalla, Werner Tanner, Martin Arnold
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Patent number: 12174212Abstract: A Coriolis mass flow meter comprises a transformer circuit configured to receive and analyze vibration measurement signals to determine mass flow measurement values which represent a mass flow of a fluid and to determine characteristic number values for at least one sensor characteristic number, which characterizes and/or is based on at least one harmonic component of at least one of the vibration measurement signals, wherein each vibration measurement signal includes a useful component, having a frequency corresponding to a drive frequency with an amplitude based on a respective magnetic flux through a respective vibration sensor of the flow meter, and a harmonic component having a frequency corresponding to a whole-number multiple of the drive frequency and an amplitude based on the respective magnetic flux.Type: GrantFiled: November 21, 2019Date of Patent: December 24, 2024Assignee: Endress+Hauser Flowtec AGInventors: Alfred Rieder, Robert Lalla, Rémy Scherrer
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Patent number: 12152920Abstract: The Coriolis mass flowmeter comprises a measuring transducer having a vibration element, an exciter arrangement, and a sensor arrangement The flowmeter further includes an electronic transmitter circuit coupled with the exciter arrangement and the sensor arrangement. The transmitter circuit supplies power to the exciter arrangement to force mechanical oscillations having a wanted frequency. The sensor arrangement includes two electrodynamic oscillation sensors to convert oscillatory movements of the vibration element into an electrical signal having an alternating voltage having an amplitude dependent on the wanted frequency and on a magnetic flux of its oscillation sensor. The sensor arrangement includes a magnetic field detector adapted to convert changes of the magnetic field into a magnetic field signal having an amplitude dependent on a magnetic flux and/or an areal density of the magnetic flux.Type: GrantFiled: November 21, 2019Date of Patent: November 26, 2024Assignee: Endress+Hauser Flowtec AGInventors: Robert Lalla, Alfred Rieder, Ennio Bitto, Marcel Braun
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Publication number: 20240027248Abstract: A process monitoring device includes: a measuring tube module having at least one measuring tube through which a medium can flow; a receptacle module having a receptacle, wherein the measuring tube module can be inserted into the receptacle, wherein the measuring tube module can be mechanically separably connected to the receptacle module; and a system for biotechnological applications, wherein the system has a housing, wherein the housing has a housing wall, which delimits a housing interior, wherein the housing wall has a cover, wherein the cover has an opening, wherein the receptacle module, in particular the receptacle, extends through the opening into the housing interior.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 26, 2021Publication date: January 25, 2024Inventors: Benjamin Schwenter, Robert Lalla, Samuel Neeser, Martin Josef Anklin, Ennio Bitto, Ruben Kiefer, Marc Werner
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Patent number: 11774276Abstract: A Coriolis mass flow meter comprises a vibration element, an exciter assembly, a sensor assembly, and an electronic transformer circuit electrically coupled to the exciter assembly and the sensor assembly. The vibration element is contacted by the flowing fluid. The exciter assembly is designed to convert electric power into mechanical power to produce mechanical vibrations of the vibration element. The transformer circuit generates an electric driver signal and feeds electric power to the exciter assembly. The vibration element mechanically vibrates with a vibration frequency specified by the electric driver signal. The sensor assembly has two electrodynamic vibration sensors designed to convert vibrational movements of the vibration element at a first or at a second measurement point into electric vibration measurement signals having an AC voltage component with a frequency and with an amplitude based on the frequency and on a magnetic flux flowing through the respective vibration sensor.Type: GrantFiled: November 21, 2019Date of Patent: October 3, 2023Assignee: Endress+Hauser Flowtec AGInventors: Robert Lalla, Alfred Rieder, Martin Josef Anklin, Reinhard Huber
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Publication number: 20220412785Abstract: The measuring system comprises a vibration-type measuring sensor, a sensor housing, a magnetic-field detector, and measuring-system electronics electrically coupled both to an oscillation exciter and to oscillation-sensing devices of the measuring sensor. The measuring sensor is inside the sensor housing and the magnetic-field detector is outside the sensor housing. The magnetic-field detector is designed to convert changes in the magnetic field into a magnetic-field signal having an amplitude dependent on a magnetic flux through the magnetic-field detector and/or on an area density of said magnetic flux. The measuring-system electronics are designed to determine, on the basis of oscillation measurement signals of the measuring sensor, the mass-flow-rate measurement values representing the mass flow rate and to at least qualitatively determine, on the basis of the magnetic-field signal, whether an external magnetic field is established inside the measuring sensor.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 20, 2020Publication date: December 29, 2022Inventors: Alfred Rieder, Robert Lalla, Marcel Braun, Ennio Bitto, Johan Pohl
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Publication number: 20220307884Abstract: A method for operating a measuring device with a measuring sensor having an oscillator, the oscillator having a vibratory measuring tube for guiding a medium, comprises: Determining a current value of a resonance frequency for a vibration mode of the oscillator; exciting a vibration out of resonance with an excitation frequency that differs from the current value of the resonance frequency; and determining the amplitude of a sensor signal that represents the vibration out of resonance. The amplitude of the sensor signal of the vibration out of resonance, a sensor signal of a vibration sensor of the oscillator, is determined by a low-pass filter the time constant of which is not less than 1000 period lengths of the vibration out of resonance. Also disclosed is a measuring device for carrying out said method.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 20, 2020Publication date: September 29, 2022Inventors: Rémy Scherrer, Robert Lalla, Reinhard Huber, Martin Josef Anklin
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Publication number: 20220099543Abstract: A Coriolis mass flow meter comprises a transformer circuit configured to receive and analyze vibration measurement signals to determine mass flow measurement values which represent a mass flow of a fluid and to determine characteristic number values for at least one sensor characteristic number, which characterizes and/or is based on at least one harmonic component of at least one of the vibration measurement signals, wherein each vibration measurement signal includes a useful component, having a frequency corresponding to a drive frequency with an amplitude based on a respective magnetic flux through a respective vibration sensor of the flow meter, and a harmonic component having a frequency corresponding to a whole-number multiple of the drive frequency and an amplitude based on the respective magnetic flux.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 21, 2019Publication date: March 31, 2022Inventors: Alfred Rieder, Robert Lalla, Rémy Scherrer
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Patent number: 11271390Abstract: An intrinsically safe circuit arrangement for supply of electrical power to a consumer having a maximum power requirement, comprising: a voltage source; a voltage monitor for limiting an output voltage to a maximum value; an electrical current limiting resistor for limiting an output electrical current to a maximum value; and an actively controlled electrical current limiting circuit for limiting output electrical current to an electrical current limit value, wherein the electrical current limiting circuit is embodied such that it controls at least the output current to the electrical current limit value as a function of a voltage drop across a part of the electrical current limiting circuit, when a loading of the circuit arrangement above the nominal load is present, such that an adapting of the electrical current limit value occurs, preferably based on a predetermined characteristic curve.Type: GrantFiled: June 26, 2017Date of Patent: March 8, 2022Assignee: ENDRESS+HAUSER FLOWTEC AGInventors: Bernhard Koch, Robert Lalla
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Publication number: 20220065674Abstract: A Coriolis mass flow meter comprises a vibration element, an exciter assembly, a sensor assembly, and an electronic transformer circuit electrically coupled to the exciter assembly and the sensor assembly. The vibration element is contacted by the flowing fluid. The exciter assembly is designed to convert electric power into mechanical power to produce mechanical vibrations of the vibration element. The transformer circuit generates an electric driver signal and feeds electric power to the exciter assembly. The vibration element mechanically vibrates with a vibration frequency specified by the electric driver signal. The sensor assembly has two electrodynamic vibration sensors designed to convert vibrational movements of the vibration element at a first or at a second measurement point into electric vibration measurement signals having an AC voltage component with a frequency and with an amplitude based on the frequency and on a magnetic flux flowing through the respective vibration sensor.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 11, 2019Publication date: March 3, 2022Inventors: Robert Lalla, Alfred Rieder, Martin Josef Anklin, Reinhard Huber
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Publication number: 20220057245Abstract: The Coriolis mass flowmeter comprises a measuring transducer having a vibration element, an exciter arrangement, and a sensor arrangement The flowmeter further includes an electronic transmitter circuit coupled with the exciter arrangement and the sensor arrangement. The transmitter circuit supplies power to the exciter arrangement to force mechanical oscillations having a wanted frequency. The sensor arrangement includes two electrodynamic oscillation sensors to convert oscillatory movements of the vibration element into an electrical signal having an alternating voltage having an amplitude dependent on the wanted frequency and on a magnetic flux of its oscillation sensor. The sensor arrangement includes a magnetic field detector adapted to convert changes of the magnetic field into a magnetic field signal having an amplitude dependent on a magnetic flux and/or an areal density of the magnetic flux.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 21, 2019Publication date: February 24, 2022Inventors: Robert Lalla, Alfred Rieder, Ennio Bitto, Marcel Braun
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Patent number: 11092631Abstract: In a driver circuit having a signal generator, end stage and amplitude control, the signal outputs an analog signal to a signal input of the end stage, with an amplitude predetermined by an amplitude control value. A load output of the end stage is connected with a voltage measurement input of the amplitude control providing a load current having an electrical current level dependent on an electrical input signal applied on signal input and a load voltage having a voltage level dependent on the electrical current level of the load current. The amplitude control ascertains an amplitude deviation between actual and desired amplitude values for ascertaining an indicator value, which signals that a magnitude of a measurement voltage input is too high, if a threshold value has been exceeded and, if so, to ascertain an amplitude control value lessening further amplitude control values outputted to the amplitude control input.Type: GrantFiled: July 14, 2017Date of Patent: August 17, 2021Assignee: ENDRESS + HAUSER FLOWTEC AGInventor: Robert Lalla
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Publication number: 20210223080Abstract: A measuring device for determining density, mass flow rate and/or viscosity of a flowable medium includes: an oscillator including at least one oscillatable measuring tube for conveying the medium, and having at least one oscillatory mode, whose eigenfrequency depends on density of the medium; an exciter for exciting the oscillatory mode; at least one oscillation sensor for registering oscillations of the oscillator; and an operating-evaluating circuit, which is adapted to supply the exciter with an excitation signal, to register signals of the oscillation sensor, based on the signals of the oscillation sensor to ascertain current values of the eigenfrequency of the oscillator as well as variations of the eigenfrequency, and to determine a value characterizing density variations of the medium, wherein the value depends on a function, which is proportional to the variation of the eigenfrequency and has an eigenfrequency dependent normalization.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 17, 2019Publication date: July 22, 2021Inventors: Hao Zhu, Alfred Rieder, Yaoying Lin, Robert Lalla, Reinhard Huber
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Publication number: 20200386597Abstract: A driver circuit comprises a signal generator having a frequency control input, an amplitude control input and a signal output, an end stage having a signal input and a load output, as well as an amplitude control with an amplitude input, an amplitude output and a voltage measurement input. The signal generator is adapted to output on its signal output an at least at times periodic, electrical, analog signal having a signal frequency predetermined by a frequency control value applied on the frequency control input and a voltage- and/or electrical current amplitude predetermined by an amplitude control value applied on the amplitude control input.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 14, 2017Publication date: December 10, 2020Inventor: Robert LALLA
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Publication number: 20190386486Abstract: An intrinsically safe circuit arrangement for supply of electrical power to a consumer having a maximum power requirement, comprising: a voltage source; a voltage monitor for limiting an output voltage to a maximum value; an electrical current limiting resistor for limiting an output electrical current to a maximum value; and an actively controlled electrical current limiting circuit for limiting output electrical current to an electrical current limit value, wherein the electrical current limiting circuit is embodied such that it controls at least the output current to the electrical current limit value as a function of a voltage drop across a part of the electrical current limiting circuit, when a loading of the circuit arrangement above the nominal load is present, such that an adapting of the electrical current limit value occurs, preferably based on a predetermined characteristic curve.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 26, 2017Publication date: December 19, 2019Inventors: Bernhard Koch, Robert Lalla
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Patent number: 9897473Abstract: The measuring transducer comprises four measuring tubes (181, 182, 183, 184) as well as two oscillation exciters and (51, 52). The oscillation exciter (51) includes a coil (511) secured to the measuring tube (181) as well as a permanent magnet (512) secured to the measuring tube (182) and movable relative to the coil (511) and the oscillation exciter (52) includes a coil (521) secured to the measuring tube (183) as well as a permanent magnet (522) secured to the measuring tube (184) and movable relative to the coil (521). In the case of the measuring transducer of the invention, the coils (511, 521) are connected electrically in parallel with one another.Type: GrantFiled: November 17, 2014Date of Patent: February 20, 2018Assignee: ENDRESS + HAUSER FLOWTEC AGInventors: Marcel Braun, Robert Lalla, Christian Matt
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Publication number: 20170003156Abstract: The measuring transducer comprises four measuring tubes (181, 182, 183, 184) as well as two oscillation exciters and (51, 52). The oscillation exciter (51) includes a coil (511) secured to the measuring tube (181) as well as a permanent magnet (512) secured to the measuring tube (182) and movable relative to the coil (511) and the oscillation exciter (52) includes a coil (521) secured to the measuring tube (183) as well as a permanent magnet (522) secured to the measuring tube (184) and movable relative to the coil (521). In the case of the measuring transducer of the invention, the coils (511, 521) are connected electrically in parallel with one another.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 17, 2014Publication date: January 5, 2017Inventors: Marcel Braun, Robert Lalla, Christian Matt
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Patent number: 9109936Abstract: A measuring device electronics comprises a processor and two clock signal generators. One clock signal generator serves for producing a working clock signal, and also for producing a reference clock signal which is dependant on the working clock signal. The other clock signal generator, serves for producing a second reference clock signal, which is independent of the working clock signal. Based on the two independent reference clock signals, a frequency difference, can, to the extent that such is present, be ascertained during operation of the measuring device electronics or of the measuring device formed therewith. The frequency difference, represents a difference between the instantaneous clocking frequency of the first reference clock signal and the instantaneous clocking frequency of the second reference clock signal, and, in this respect, represents a measure for a deviation of an instantaneous clocking frequency, from the nominally predetermined clocking frequency, of the working clock signal.Type: GrantFiled: May 31, 2012Date of Patent: August 18, 2015Assignee: ENDRESS + HAUSER FLOWTEC AGInventors: Wolfgang Drahm, Gernot Engstler, Hans Pohl, Christian Matt, Robert Lalla, Matthias Brudermann