Patents by Inventor Thomas A. Sturm

Thomas A. Sturm 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: 7160293
    Abstract: A multiple RF return pad contact detection system is provided which is adaptive to different physiological characteristics of patients without being susceptible to electrosurgical current interference (e.g., interference or measurement interaction between components of the detection system). The detection system can measure or sense the contact resistance or impedance between the patient and pairs of RF return pads or return electrodes where multiple pairs of RF return pads are utilized due to the high current frequently needed during electrosurgery while eliminating or minimizing the risk of measurement interaction between the RF return pad pairs. The system allows for the independent and simultaneous measurement of the pad contact impedance for each pair of RF return pads. If the impedance of any pad pair is above a predetermined limit, the system turns off or reduces the electrosurgical output of the electrosurgical generator to prevent excess heating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2007
    Assignee: Sherwood Services AG
    Inventors: Thomas A. Sturm, William N. Gregg, Raymond A. Fredricks
  • Publication number: 20060241878
    Abstract: The invention relates to a surface paneling module that includes a power supply connection and a data transfer interface as well as a processor that is coupled to the power supply connection and the data transfer
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 10, 2003
    Publication date: October 26, 2006
    Applicant: INFINEON TECHNOLOGIES AG
    Inventors: Stefan Jung, Christi Lauterbach, Guido Stromberg, Thomas Sturm, Annelie Stöhr, Warner Weber
  • Patent number: 7110836
    Abstract: A transmission/reception device is provided merely as an embedded system, and a domestic appliance control program and/or an industrial appliance control program is/are transferred from the transmission/reception device to an external control apparatus, and the latter is used to control the appliances. In addition, the appliances contain at least one sensor for recording state information about the respective appliance, the recorded sensor variables being transferred to the external control apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2006
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Thomas Sturm, Guido Stromberg
  • Publication number: 20060179628
    Abstract: A joining method and to a joining device (1) for joining roof skins (11) to parts (4) of vehicle bodies (3) is provided. The joining device (1) includes one or more joining grippers (2), which are comprised of at least one frame (24), of a number of gripping elements (29, 30), of at least one pressing strip (27), which acts upon the roof skin (11), and of an associated adjusting device (32). The pressing strip (27) is adapted to the joining contour (6) of the part (4) and has one or more dimensionally stable strip segments (33, 34, 35, 36, 37) that, independent of one another, are mounted on a strip support (26) with a limited flexibility in the direction of adjustment (41). The roof skin (11) with the joining part edge (13) thereof, is pressed against and fixed to the contact area (7) of the part (4) by means of the strip segments (33, 34, 35, 36, 37) and, optionally, is permanently deformed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 4, 2004
    Publication date: August 17, 2006
    Inventor: Thomas Sturm
  • Patent number: 7082173
    Abstract: A method for decoding a predetermined code word is specified in which the code word comprises a number of positions having different values. In this method, encoding is performed, in particular, by way of a terminated convolutional code. Each position of the code word is correlated with a safety measure (soft output) for a most probable Boolean value by performing the correlation on the basis of a trellis representation. The decoding of the code word is determined by the correlation of the individual positions of the code word.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2006
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengellschaft
    Inventor: Thomas Sturm
  • Patent number: 7043409
    Abstract: A method and arrangement for the design of a technical system measured data of a given system are described on the basis of an equivalent model. In a dimensional coefficient for the quality of the equivalent model is thereby determined in that the measured data of the system are compared to data defined by the equivalent model. The equivalent model is adapted on the basis of the dimensional coefficient in view of an optimally high quality. The dimensional coefficient is improved on the basis of additional measured data, and the adapted equivalent model is utilized for the design of the technical system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2006
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Stefan Schäffler, Thomas Sturm
  • Publication number: 20060082440
    Abstract: A shelf arrangement has a multiplicity of shelf units, each shelf unit having a receiver and a processor coupled thereto. Each receiver is set up to receive data from a data transmission unit fitted on an object which is to be arranged or is arranged in the respective shelf unit. Each processor is set up such that it can determine the position of the shelf unit's processor within the shelf arrangement by virtue of messages being interchanged by processors in directly adjacent shelf units.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 14, 2005
    Publication date: April 20, 2006
    Applicant: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Rupert Glaser, Christl Lauterbach, Thomas Sturm
  • Publication number: 20060053932
    Abstract: A clamping device or system (1) is provided for body parts (8, 9), which have a component clamping contour (11), especially a component flange. The clamping device or system (1) has one or more clamping devices (2, 3), which have each a frame-like structure (12) with fixed and mobile clamping units (18, 19) arranged therein, which are present in a plurality of pairs. The clamping units (18, 19) have a strip-shaped design and are adapted to the course of the component clamping contour. Furthermore, the clamping device or system (1) has an adjusting device (21), which feeds the mobile clamping units (19) to the component clamping contour and actuates them together or in a controllable sequence.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 14, 2004
    Publication date: March 16, 2006
    Inventor: Thomas Sturm
  • Publication number: 20050286718
    Abstract: Apparatus for generating a random number includes a sampler that samples a noise signal to obtain a noise signal sample, and a provider that provides at least three noise signal threshold values selected such that a first probability of the noise signal sample being between the first and second threshold values, and a second probability of the noise signal sample being between the second and third threshold values are different from each other by less than a predetermined differential value or are identical. An outputter outputs the random number such that when the noise signal sample is between the first and second threshold values, a first digit of a random number is occupied by a first logical state, whereas a second digit is occupied with a different logical state, so that a random number which is at least 2 bits wide results from one noise signal sample.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 29, 2004
    Publication date: December 29, 2005
    Applicant: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: David Meintrup, Guido Stromberg, Thomas Sturm, Annelie Stoehr
  • Publication number: 20050202582
    Abstract: Sensor arrangement having sensor arrays arranged in crossover regions of row and column lines, each of the sensor arrays having a coupler and a sensor element, which influences current flow between a row and column line through the coupler, an accumulative current flow detector that detects accumulative current flow from individual electric current flows provided by the sensor arrays, and a decoder that determines a sensor element at which a sensor signal is present from the accumulative electric current flows. Accumulative current flows which satisfy a predetermined first criterion can be determined from the detected accumulative current flows, and from the accumulative current flows determined an accumulative current flow can be selected as an accumulative current flow which represents a sensor signal and which satisfies a predetermined second criterion, and the sensor element at which a sensor signal is present can be determined from the selected accumulative current flow.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 13, 2005
    Publication date: September 15, 2005
    Applicant: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Bjorn-Oliver Eversmann, Martin Jenkner, Christian Paulus, Guido Stromberg, Thomas Sturm, Annelie Stohr
  • Publication number: 20050125471
    Abstract: Random number generator having a transistor that generates an analog random telegraph signal (RTS) having a first or second signal state, a RTS detection unit for detecting the RTS generated by the transistor, a RTS sampling unit that supersamples the RTS detected by the RTS detection unit and thus generates a digitized RTS, a signal state duration detection unit that determines, from the digitized RTS, a first time variable representing the time duration of at least one first signal state of the generated RTS and a second time variable representing the time duration of at least one second signal state of the generated RTS, and a random number conversion unit, which is coupled to the signal state duration detection unit, and that generates a random number from the first time variable and the second time variable.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2004
    Publication date: June 9, 2005
    Applicant: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Thomas Sturm, Guido Stromberg, Ralf Brederlow, Werner Weber
  • Publication number: 20050113819
    Abstract: An automatic control system for an electrosurgical generator is herein disclosed. The automatic control system includes voltage and current sensing circuits, a processing circuit, an output determining circuit, and a control circuit. Samples of the voltage and current outputs are supplied to the processing circuit and the output determining circuit to generate an output signal. The output signal is compared to a reference signal to generate a feedback signal for controlling a drive circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2003
    Publication date: May 26, 2005
    Inventors: Robert Wham, Thomas Sturm
  • Publication number: 20050096760
    Abstract: A transmission/reception device is provided merely as an embedded system, and a domestic appliance control program and/or an industrial appliance control program is/are transferred from the transmission/reception device to an external control apparatus, and the latter is used to control the appliances. In addition, the appliances contain at least one sensor for recording state information about the respective appliance, the recorded sensor variables being transferred to the external control apparatus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2004
    Publication date: May 5, 2005
    Inventors: Thomas Sturm, Guido Stromberg
  • Publication number: 20050085193
    Abstract: Transceiver for controlling an application device by means of an external control device. The transceiver has a control unit, a memory unit coupled to the control unit, a control interface coupled to the control unit, a communication interface coupled to the control unit, wherein the application device is controllable using the external control device via the control interface and via the communication interface using the control unit, and an application control program stored in the memory unit, wherein the application control program is communicated to the external control device via the communication interface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 17, 2004
    Publication date: April 21, 2005
    Applicant: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Guido Stromberg, Thomas Sturm
  • Patent number: 6881868
    Abstract: Compounds of formula (I), wherein R1 and R2 are, independently of one another, H,C1-C6alkyl, C1-C6halogenalkyl, C1-C6alkoxyl, C1-C6alkoxy-C1-C6alkyl, or C1-C6alkoxy-C1-C6alkyloxy, and R3 is C1-C6alkyl, are obtainable in high yiedls by stereoselective addition of R3-substituted propionic acid esters to R1- and R2-substituted benzaldehydes of formula R—CHO to form corresponding 3-R-3-hydroxy-2-R3-propionic acid esters, conversion of the OH group to a leaving group, subsequent regioselective elimination to form 3-R-2-R3-propenic acid esters, and reduction to corresponding 3-R-2-R3-allyl alcohols and their enantioselective hydrogenation, wherein R is (a).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2005
    Assignee: Speedel Pharma AG
    Inventors: Stefan Stutz, Peter Herold, Felix Spindler, Walter Weissensteiner, Thomas Sturm
  • Publication number: 20050078115
    Abstract: A processor arrangement comprises a number of processor units. Each processor unit is coupled to at least one adjacent processor unit by means of a bi-directional communication interface. Messages are exchanged between adjacent processor units for the determination of the separation of a processor unit in the processor arrangement from a reference position. Each message contains separation information, giving the separation of the processor unit receiving the message from the reference position or the separation of the processor unit sending the message from the reference position, where each processor unit is embodied such as to be able to determine or store the separation thereof from the reference position from the separation information in a received message.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 28, 2002
    Publication date: April 14, 2005
    Inventors: Anton Buchmeier, Stefan Jung, Annelie Stohr, Thomas Sturm
  • Patent number: 6860881
    Abstract: A multiple RF return pad contact detection system is provided which is adaptive to different physiological characteristics of patients without being susceptible to electrosurgical current interference (e.g., interference or measurement interaction between components of the detection system). The detection system can measure or sense the contact resistance or impedance between the patient and pairs of RF return pads or return electrodes where multiple pairs of RF return pads are utilized due to the high current frequently needed during electrosurgery while eliminating or minimizing the risk of measurement interaction between the RF return pad pairs. The system allows for the independent and simultaneous measurement of the pad contact impedance for each pair of RF return pads. If the impedance of any pad pair is above a predetermined limit, the system turns off or reduces the electrosurgical output of the electrosurgical generator to prevent excess heating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2005
    Assignee: Sherwood Services AG
    Inventors: Thomas A. Sturm, William N. Gregg, Raymond A. Fredricks
  • Publication number: 20050021022
    Abstract: A multiple RF return pad contact detection system is provided which is adaptive to different physiological characteristics of patients without being susceptible to electrosurgical current interference (e.g., interference or measurement interaction between components of the detection system). The detection system can measure or sense the contact resistance or impedance between the patient and pairs of RF return pads or return electrodes where multiple pairs of RF return pads are utilized due to the high current frequently needed during electrosurgery while eliminating or minimizing the risk of measurement interaction between the RF return pad pairs. The system allows for the independent and simultaneous measurement of the pad contact impedance for each pair of RF return pads. If the impedance of any pad pair is above a predetermined limit, the system turns off or reduces the electrosurgical output of the electrosurgical generator to prevent excess heating.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 16, 2004
    Publication date: January 27, 2005
    Inventors: Thomas Sturm, William Gregg, Raymond Fredricks
  • Publication number: 20050004564
    Abstract: A method and system are disclosed enabling configuration of a control system for an electrosurgical generator system for creating new surgical applications without changing the underlying software system. The system includes an outer loop controller for generating a control signal in accordance with at least a first subset of sensor data from at least one sensor; an inner loop controller for generating a setpoint control signal which is provided to an RF stage in accordance with at least the control signal generated by the outer loop controller and a second subset of sensor data from the at least one sensor; and a configuration controller for generating configuration data and providing first and second configuration data sets of the configuration data to the inner loop and outer loop controllers, respectively, for configuration thereof to provide a type of control selectable from a variety of types of control.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 30, 2004
    Publication date: January 6, 2005
    Inventors: Robert Wham, Thomas Sturm, William Faulkner
  • Patent number: 6837453
    Abstract: A rotary shredder for shredding various materials including fibrous materials, comprising at least one rotor that carries a plurality of V-cutters axially spaced apart along the rotor to mesh with recesses between adjacent teeth of a counter knife. The rotor also carries a plurality of flat cutters. Each flat cutter has a cutting edge that is parallel to the axis of the rotor. The flat cutters are aligned in the axial direction with the teeth of the counter knife, and hence are axially positioned between axially adjacent V-cutters. The flat cutters thus are positioned to work in conjunction with the counter knife to cut material that accumulates between adjacent V-cutters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2005
    Assignee: Vecoplan Maschinenfabrik GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventor: Thomas Sturm