Patents by Inventor Roland Kalberer

Roland Kalberer 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: 11703847
    Abstract: An input device including an input circuit with an input connection point for applying an input signal and with an input signal path which leads from the input connection point to an evaluation input and on which a conversion of the input signal into an evaluation signal is effected, an evaluation device which includes the evaluation input and which is designed to recognise an input signal level of the input signal on the basis of the evaluation signal, wherein the evaluation device is further designed to carry out a functionality test of the input device and within the framework of the functionality test by way of providing a test signal to effect a first change of the evaluation signal and to test the functionality of the input device on the basis of the effected first change of the evaluation signal, wherein the input circuit includes a transistor which is connected into the input signal path, and the input circuit is designed to control a control terminal of the transistor on the basis of the test signal,
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: Festo SE & Co. KG
    Inventors: Roland Kälberer, Jan Reimer, Tobias Rossbach
  • Publication number: 20210294315
    Abstract: An input device including an input circuit with an input connection point for applying an input signal and with an input signal path which leads from the input connection point to an evaluation input and on which a conversion of the input signal into an evaluation signal is effected, an evaluation device which includes the evaluation input and which is designed to recognise an input signal level of the input signal on the basis of the evaluation signal, wherein the evaluation device is further designed to carry out a functionality test of the input device and within the framework of the functionality test by way of providing a test signal to effect a first change of the evaluation signal and to test the functionality of the input device on the basis of the effected first change of the evaluation signal, wherein the input circuit includes a transistor which is connected into the input signal path, and the input circuit is designed to control a control terminal of the transistor on the basis of the test signal,
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 16, 2021
    Publication date: September 23, 2021
    Inventors: Roland Kälberer, Jan Reimer, Tobias Rossbach
  • Patent number: 10761493
    Abstract: A safety module for an automation system includes a communication interface designed for a signal-transmitting connection to a communication system, an output interface designed for a signal-transmitting connection to at least one user which can be fitted downstream and a processing device connected to the communication interface and the output interface and designed to process communication signals from the communication interface and to provide output signals to the output interface wherein the processing device is designed for a detection of an actual component behaviour, using a control command contained in a communication signal and a component measured value contained in a communication signal, and for a comparison of a presettable component behaviour to the actual component behaviour as well as for a provision of a safety-oriented output signal to the output interface at a presettable divergence between the presettable component behaviour and the actual component behaviour.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: FESTO SE & CO. KG
    Inventors: Martin Gehrke, Roland Kalberer, Ralf Forcht
  • Patent number: 10503137
    Abstract: A safety module for an automation system including a communication interface, which is configured for a signal-transmitting connection to a communication system including an output interface, which is configured for a signal-transmitting connection to consumers, which can be attached downstream, and including a processing device which is connected to both interfaces and is configured for processing communication signals from the communication interface and for providing processing results as output signals at the output interface. The processing device is configured such that a safety-related output signal is provided at the output interface if a safety signal, which is contained in a communication signal, is present, and if at least two data records, which are respectively provided in a communication signal, are encoded differently and are directed at the processing device, conform with one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2019
    Assignee: FESTO AG & CO. KG
    Inventors: Martin Gehrke, Martin Maier, Roland Kalberer, Andreas Herzog, Ralf Forcht
  • Patent number: 10466670
    Abstract: A field bus module for the operation of actuators and/or sensors with at least one device interface for the connection of a sensor and/or actuator, with at least one field bus interface for connection to a field bus system, and with a processing device for receiving and processing and sending field bus telegrams and also for making available control commands, especially safety-oriented control commands, to the device interface depending on incoming field bus telegrams wherein the processing device is configured to process in different operating modes sensor data that can be made available at the device interface and/or field bus telegrams that can be made available at the field bus interface, wherein an operating mode memory is allocated to the processing device for the optional provision of one of at least two different operating mode data sets at the processing device depending on an incoming field bus telegram.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2019
    Assignee: Festo AG & Co., KG
    Inventors: Roland Kalberer, Martin Hommel, Colin Leitner, Martin Gehrke, Martin Maier
  • Patent number: 10333515
    Abstract: Control device having at least one electrical switching device, configured to provide electrical power to an associated load and arranged between a supply connection and a load connection and having at least one processing device, electrically connected with an input interface, with the at least one electrical switching device and with the load connection wherein it is provided that between the supply connection and the load connection parallel to the switching device an electrical resistor means is arranged, in order that when the switching device is open it forms a voltage divider with the load and allows a monitoring of the load connection independently of the switching state of the switching device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2019
    Assignee: FESTO AG & Co. KG
    Inventors: Roland Kalberer, Andreas Herzog
  • Patent number: 10101384
    Abstract: A signal converter circuit includes a sensor connection, two comparator circuits, each having a signal input for an electric connection to the sensor connection, a reference input for an electric connection to a respectively assigned reference signal source and a signal output for a provision of an output signal, with a feedback line being formed between the respective signal output and the respective reference input, and further including two reference signal sources, each of the comparator circuits being configured for comparing a signal level at the signal input to a signal level at the reference input and for outputting a digital output signal as a function of a comparison result between the signal levels, wherein the two reference signal inputs are connected to one another via a coupling line being configured to transmit a presettable fraction of the respective signal level present at one reference input to the other reference input.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2018
    Assignee: FESTO AG & CO. KG
    Inventors: Roland Kalberer, Martin Hommel
  • Publication number: 20180219548
    Abstract: Control device having at least one electrical switching device, configured to provide electrical power to an associated load and arranged between a supply connection and a load connection and having at least one processing device, electrically connected with an input interface, with the at least one electrical switching device and with the load connection wherein it is provided that between the supply connection and the load connection parallel to the switching device an electrical resistor means is arranged, in order that when the switching device is open it forms a voltage divider with the load and allows a monitoring of the load connection independently of the switching state of the switching device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2018
    Publication date: August 2, 2018
    Inventors: Roland Kalberer, Andreas Herzog
  • Publication number: 20180143594
    Abstract: A safety module for an automation system includes a communication interface designed for a signal-transmitting connection to a communication system, an output interface designed for a signal-transmitting connection to at least one user which can be fitted downstream and a processing device connected to the communication interface and the output interface and designed to process communication signals from the communication interface and to provide output signals to the output interface wherein the processing device is designed for a detection of an actual component behaviour, using a control command contained in a communication signal and a component measured value contained in a communication signal, and for a comparison of a presettable component behaviour to the actual component behaviour as well as for a provision of a safety-oriented output signal to the output interface at a presettable divergence between the presettable component behaviour and the actual component behaviour.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 17, 2017
    Publication date: May 24, 2018
    Inventors: Martin Gehrke, Roland Kalberer, Ralf Forcht
  • Publication number: 20180143604
    Abstract: A safety module for an automation system including a communication interface, which is configured for a signal-transmitting connection to a communication system including an output interface, which is configured for a signal-transmitting connection to consumers, which can be attached downstream, and including a processing device which is connected to both interfaces and is configured for processing communication signals from the communication interface and for providing processing results as output signals at the output interface. The processing device is configured such that a safety-related output signal is provided at the output interface if a safety signal, which is contained in a communication signal, is present, and if at least two data records, which are respectively provided in a communication signal, are encoded differently and are directed at the processing device, conform with one another.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 7, 2017
    Publication date: May 24, 2018
    Inventors: Martin Gehrke, Martin Maier, Roland Kalberer, Andreas Herzog, Ralf Forcht
  • Patent number: 9709616
    Abstract: A monitoring device for monitoring safety components including monitoring electronics which include a plurality of clock generators and evaluation means and on which at least two interfaces to be monitored for electric coupling to safety components are formed, wherein each of the interfaces includes at least two output ports and at least two input ports, wherein each of a first output port and a second output port is connected to a clock generator designed for providing clocked electric monitoring signals, wherein a first input port and a second input port are connected to the evaluation means, and wherein a number of clock generators greater than two and less than a number of all output ports of the interfaces to be monitored is chosen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2017
    Assignee: FESTO AG & CO. KG
    Inventors: Roland Kalberer, Martin Hommel, Colin Leitner
  • Publication number: 20170185059
    Abstract: A field bus module for the operation of actuators and/or sensors with at least one device interface for the connection of a sensor and/or actuator, with at least one field bus interface for connection to a field bus system, and with a processing device for receiving and processing and sending field bus telegrams and also for making available control commands, especially safety-oriented control commands, to the device interface depending on incoming field bus telegrams wherein the processing device is configured to process in different operating modes sensor data that can be made available at the device interface and/or field bus telegrams that can be made available at the field bus interface, wherein an operating mode memory is allocated to the processing device for the optional provision of one of at least two different operating mode data sets at the processing device depending on an incoming field bus telegram.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 3, 2015
    Publication date: June 29, 2017
    Inventors: Roland Kalberer, Martin Hommel, Colin Leitner, Martin Gehrke, Martin Maier
  • Publication number: 20170010319
    Abstract: A signal converter circuit includes a sensor connection, two comparator circuits, each having a signal input for an electric connection to the sensor connection, a reference input for an electric connection to a respectively assigned reference signal source and a signal output for a provision of an output signal, with a feedback line being formed between the respective signal output and the respective reference input, and further including two reference signal sources, each of the comparator circuits being configured for comparing a signal level at the signal input to a signal level at the reference input and for outputting a digital output signal as a function of a comparison result between the signal levels, wherein the two reference signal inputs are connected to one another via a coupling line being configured to transmit a presettable fraction of the respective signal level present at one reference input to the other reference input.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 1, 2016
    Publication date: January 12, 2017
    Inventors: Roland Kalberer, Martin Hommel
  • Publication number: 20150168475
    Abstract: A monitoring device for monitoring safety components including monitoring electronics which include a plurality of clock generators and evaluation means and on which at least two interfaces to be monitored for electric coupling to safety components are formed, wherein each of the interfaces includes at least two output ports and at least two input ports, wherein each of a first output port and a second output port is connected to a clock generator designed for providing clocked electric monitoring signals, wherein a first input port and a second input port are connected to the evaluation means, and wherein a number of clock generators greater than two and less than a number of all output ports of the interfaces to be monitored is chosen.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2014
    Publication date: June 18, 2015
    Inventors: Roland Kalberer, Martin Hommel, Colin Leitner
  • Publication number: 20070167114
    Abstract: System for processing technical surfaces, in particular surfaces of essentially rotationally symmetrical work pieces (3), comprising at least one processing unit (4) and one motor-driven work-piece carrier (1) and, mounted thereon in rotatable fashion, at least two or more holders (5) that feed work pieces (3) to the processing unit (4), characterized in that the processing unit (4) includes means (6) serving to exert an essentially constant hold-down pressure on the surface of the respective work piece (3), while the motor drive is so designed as to control the feed-in-timing sequence of the work pieces (3) and the duration of their processing cycle in the processing unit (4).
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 16, 2007
    Publication date: July 19, 2007
    Applicant: OC OERLIKON BALZERS AG
    Inventors: Norbert Fromel, Caroline Siebert, Roland Kalberer