Patents by Inventor Stephan Herold

Stephan Herold 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: 11975441
    Abstract: A gripper device for an object and a changing robot having such a gripper device. The gripper device includes a housing having an inner contour that is a negative contour adapted at least partly to the contour of an object. Also disclosed is a charge plug for a transportation vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: VOLKSWAGEN AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventors: Stephan Herold, Daniel Schütz, Kristin Fondahl, Annika Raatz, Serhat Ibrahim, Julius Ibenthal, Felix Bartling
  • Patent number: 11945580
    Abstract: Cleaning vehicle sensors, wherein position data of a vehicle are received (1). An unmanned aircraft suitable for cleaning vehicle sensors flies to the vehicle on the basis of the received position data of the vehicle, positions itself, on the basis of location data of a sensor of the vehicle that is to be cleaned, near the vehicle in such a way that the sensor to be cleaned can be cleaned, and cleans the sensor. The vehicle can transmit the position data of the vehicle to a Service Station via a mobile data connection, wherein the Service Station causes the unmanned aircraft to fly to the vehicle and, after the end of the cleaning operation, to return to the Service Station.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Inventors: Daniel Schütz, Stephan Herold, Kristin Fondahl, Micha Helbig
  • Publication number: 20220234549
    Abstract: A service station for vehicles of an autonomous vehicle fleet. The service station includes at least one service module that is designed to identify the dirtiness of at least one vehicle component of the vehicle. The service module also includes at least one mobile robot and/or a robot arm on which a tool is arranged for identifying dirtiness. The tool includes at least one optical sensor and preferably at least one light source and/or at least one vapor emitter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 8, 2020
    Publication date: July 28, 2022
    Inventors: Daniel Schütz, Maik Otremba, Stephan Herold, Juan Mauricio Toro Ramos, Kristoph Toppel
  • Patent number: 11312415
    Abstract: A parking robot for a transportation vehicle having at least two wheel axles and a method for operating a parking robot. The parking robot includes a main robot part and a secondary robot part which each have a pair of wheel support arms on two opposite sides. The two-part parking robot then moves under the transportation vehicle with respective folded-in wheel support arms and disconnects the secondary robot part from the main robot part to position the main robot part and the secondary robot part each in a region of one of the wheel axles beneath the transportation vehicle and to lift up respective wheels of the respective wheel axle of the transportation vehicle by folding out the respective pairs of wheel support arms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Inventors: Theodoros Tzivanopoulos, Stephan Herold, Juan Mauricio Toro Ramos, Daniel Schütz
  • Patent number: 11220190
    Abstract: A mobile charging station for the electric charging of electric transportation vehicles having at least one battery unit, at least one charging interface for charging the battery unit, at least one second interface for charging an electric transportation vehicle from the battery unit, a method or mechanism for automated navigation of the mobile charging station and a method or mechanism for receiving a charging request. A method for charging an electric transportation vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2022
    Inventors: Daniel Schütz, Stephan Herold, Norbert Settele
  • Patent number: 11020856
    Abstract: A transportation vehicle having a data interface for transmitting data to a robot, wherein the transportation vehicle includes a controller that produces control signals for controlling the robot for a specified working task and transmits the control signals to the robot via the data interface. Also disclosed is a method for controlling a robot by a transportation vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Inventors: Stephan Herold, Daniel Schütz
  • Publication number: 20210053678
    Abstract: Cleaning vehicle sensors, wherein position data of a vehicle are received (1). An unmanned aircraft suitable for cleaning vehicle sensors flies to the vehicle on the basis of the received position data of the vehicle, positions itself, on the basis of location data of a sensor of the vehicle that is to be cleaned, near the vehicle in such a way that the sensor to be cleaned can be cleaned, and cleans the sensor. The vehicle can transmit the position data of the vehicle to a Service Station via a mobile data connection, wherein the Service Station causes the unmanned aircraft to fly to the vehicle and, after the end of the cleaning operation, to return to the Service Station.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 23, 2019
    Publication date: February 25, 2021
    Inventors: Daniel Schütz, Stephan Herold, Kristin Fondahl, Micha Helbig
  • Publication number: 20200406470
    Abstract: A gripper device for an object and a changing robot having such a gripper device. The gripper device includes a housing having an inner contour that is a negative contour adapted at least partly to the contour of an object. Also disclosed is a charge plug for a transportation vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2019
    Publication date: December 31, 2020
    Inventors: Stephan HEROLD, Daniel SCHÜTZ, Kristin FONDAHL, Annika RAATZ, Serhat IBRAHIM, Julius IBENTHAL, Felix BARTLING
  • Publication number: 20200361329
    Abstract: A mobile charging station for the electric charging of electric transportation vehicles having at least one battery unit, at least one charging interface for charging the battery unit, at least one second interface for charging an electric transportation vehicle from the battery unit, a method or mechanism for automated navigation of the mobile charging station and a method or mechanism for receiving a charging request. A method for charging an electric transportation vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 5, 2018
    Publication date: November 19, 2020
    Inventors: Daniel SCHÜTZ, Stephan HEROLD, Norbert SETTELE
  • Publication number: 20200180696
    Abstract: A parking robot for a transportation vehicle having at least two wheel axles and a method for operating a parking robot. The parking robot includes a main robot part and a secondary robot part which each have a pair of wheel support arms on two opposite sides. The two-part parking robot then moves under the transportation vehicle with respective folded-in wheel support arms and disconnects the secondary robot part from the main robot part to position the main robot part and the secondary robot part each in a region of one of the wheel axles beneath the transportation vehicle and to lift up respective wheels of the respective wheel axle of the transportation vehicle by folding out the respective pairs of wheel support arms.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 4, 2019
    Publication date: June 11, 2020
    Inventors: Theodoros TZIVANOPOULOS, Stephan HEROLD, Juan Mauricio Toro RAMOS, Daniel SCHÜTZ
  • Publication number: 20190030720
    Abstract: A transportation vehicle having a data interface for transmitting data to a robot, wherein the transportation vehicle includes a controller that produces control signals for controlling the robot for a specified working task and transmits the control signals to the robot via the data interface. Also disclosed is a method for controlling a robot by a transportation vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 17, 2018
    Publication date: January 31, 2019
    Inventors: Stephan HEROLD, Daniel SCHÜTZ
  • Patent number: 8997958
    Abstract: A dual clutch transmission, in particular of a motor vehicle, includes a hydraulic circuit for cooling the dual clutch transmission, wherein the hydraulic circuit includes at least one pump for conveying a hydraulic medium flow, at least one cooler for cooling the hydraulic medium flow, and a volume control valve for adjusting the hydraulic medium flow for at least one cooling system associated with clutches of the dual clutch transmission. The volume control valve is designed to convey the hydraulic medium flow in a first switching state to a first cooling system associated with a first of the clutches, and in at least one second switching state to a second cooling system associated with a second of the clutches.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: Audi AG
    Inventors: Dietmar Schuller, Hans-Peter Fleischmann, Stephan Herold
  • Publication number: 20140291101
    Abstract: A dual clutch transmission, in particular of a motor vehicle, includes a hydraulic circuit for cooling the dual clutch transmission, wherein the hydraulic circuit includes at least one pump for conveying a hydraulic medium flow, at least one cooler for cooling the hydraulic medium flow, and a volume control valve for adjusting the hydraulic medium flow for at least one cooling system associated with clutches of the dual clutch transmission. The volume control valve is designed to convey the hydraulic medium flow in a first switching state to a first cooling system associated with a first of the clutches, and in at least one second switching state to a second cooling system associated with a second of the clutches.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 27, 2012
    Publication date: October 2, 2014
    Applicant: AUDI AG
    Inventors: Dietmar Schuller, Hans-Peter Fleischmann, Stephan Herold
  • Publication number: 20140169994
    Abstract: A dual clutch transmission, especially of a motor vehicle, includes a hydraulic circuit with a pump for delivering a hydraulic flow, a cooler for cooling the hydraulic flow, and a volume control valve for adjusting the hydraulic flow for a cooling system associated with two clutches of the dual clutch transmission. The volume control valve is constructed as a switching valve with at least two switching position ranges, supplying the hydraulic flow to a first cooling system associated with a first clutch in a first switching position range with a constant flow cross-section, and supplying the hydraulic flow to a second cooling system associated with a second clutch in a second switching position range with a constant flow cross-section, wherein the entire switching position range of the volume control valve is substantially formed by the first and second switching position ranges and only a narrow transition range therebetween.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 30, 2012
    Publication date: June 19, 2014
    Inventors: Dietmar Schuller, Stefan Ammler, Stephan Herold