Patents by Inventor Thomas Kälberer

Thomas Kälberer 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: 11946782
    Abstract: An optical position-measuring device for determining a relative position of scales includes a light source, the scales and a detector. The scales are movable relative to each other along measurement directions and disposed in different planes in crossed relation to each other, and each have a graduation having grating regions which are arranged periodically and have different optical properties. At the first scale, the illumination beam is split into sub-beams, the sub-beams subsequently impinge on the second scale and are reflected back toward the first scale, and the reflected-back sub-beams strike the first scale again, where they are recombined, so that a resulting signal beam subsequently propagates toward the detector. The measuring graduation of one or more of the scales is configured as a two-dimensional cross grating which has a filtering effect that suppresses disturbing higher diffraction orders.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: DR. JOHANNES HEIDENHAIN GMBH
    Inventor: Thomas Kaelberer
  • Patent number: 11644348
    Abstract: An optical position measuring device for recording a relative position of two scales includes the scales. The longitudinal extents of the scales are oriented parallel to a first and second measuring direction. A horizontal plane of movement is spanned by these measuring directions. A light source is configured to emit an illumination beam that is split into at least two sub-beam bundles at the first scale. The sub-beam bundles subsequently impinge on the second scale, which is tilted about the direction of the longitudinal extent thereof relative to the horizontal plane of movement, and are back-reflected to impinge again on the first scale and are recombined there such that a resulting signal beam is subsequently propagated toward a detection unit, via which phase-shifted scanning signals are generatable with respect to a relative movement of the scales along a third perpendicular measuring direction and the first or second measuring direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: DR. JOHANNES HEIDENHAIN GMBH
    Inventors: Thomas Kaelberer, Wolfgang Holzapfel
  • Publication number: 20230120787
    Abstract: An optical position-measuring device for determining a relative position of scales includes a light source, the scales and a detector. The scales are movable relative to each other along measurement directions and disposed in different planes in crossed relation to each other, and each have a graduation having grating regions which are arranged periodically and have different optical properties. At the first scale, the illumination beam is split into sub-beams, the sub-beams subsequently impinge on the second scale and are reflected back toward the first scale, and the reflected-back sub-beams strike the first scale again, where they are recombined, so that a resulting signal beam subsequently propagates toward the detector. The measuring graduation of one or more of the scales is configured as a two-dimensional cross grating which has a filtering effect that suppresses disturbing higher diffraction orders.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 5, 2022
    Publication date: April 20, 2023
    Inventor: Thomas Kaelberer
  • Patent number: 11590831
    Abstract: A device and a method for controlling a shading system of vehicle windows. A camera system detects image data of the head of a driver. The image data is evaluated to determine a gaze direction of the driver either as a function of a current pose of the head or body position of the driver ascertained based on the image data or as a function of eye positions of the driver determined based on image data. The shading system is controlled when the determined current gaze direction is looking in an interior rear view mirror, in the direction of the rear window, in the direction of one of the side windows, a reverse gear of the vehicle is set/activated, and the vehicle is in operation/activated. The control involves suspending or switching off a current shading/darkening of the rear window or of the side window in the gaze direction of the driver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: MERCEDES-BENZ GROUP AG
    Inventors: Manja Zedler, Tingting Zhang-Xu, Thomas Kälberer, Fabian Stiebert
  • Publication number: 20220274471
    Abstract: A device and a method for controlling a shading system of vehicle windows. A camera system detects image data of the head of a driver. The image data is evaluated to determine a gaze direction of the driver either as a function of a current pose of the head or body position of the driver ascertained based on the image data or as a function of eye positions of the driver determined based on image data. The shading system is controlled when the determined current gaze direction is looking in an interior rear view mirror, in the direction of the rear window, in the direction of one of the side windows, a reverse gear of the vehicle is set/activated, and the vehicle is in operation/activated. The control involves suspending or switching off a current shading/darkening of the rear window or of the side window in the gaze direction of the driver.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 15, 2020
    Publication date: September 1, 2022
    Applicant: DAIMLER AG
    Inventors: Manja ZEDLER, Tingting ZHANG-XU, Thomas KÄLBERER, Fabian STIEBERT
  • Patent number: 11313672
    Abstract: An optical position-measuring device for sensing a relative position of two objects, each object being connected to a grating. The optical position-measuring device is configured such that, at one of the gratings, an illumination beam emitted from a light source is split into two sub-beams which, in respective scanning beam paths following the splitting, experience different polarization-optical effects and recombine at one of the gratings. After the differently polarized sub-beams are recombined, a plurality of phase-shifted, displacement-dependent scanning signals are generatable from a resulting signal beam in a detection unit. No separate polarization-optical components are disposed in the scanning beam paths of the sub-beams between splitting and recombination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: DR. JOHANNES HEIDENHAIN GMBH
    Inventor: Thomas Kaelberer
  • Publication number: 20210255008
    Abstract: An optical position measuring device for recording a relative position of two scales includes the scales. The longitudinal extents of the scales are oriented parallel to a first and second measuring direction. A horizontal plane of movement is spanned by these measuring directions. A light source is configured to emit an illumination beam that is split into at least two sub-beam bundles at the first scale. The sub-beam bundles subsequently impinge on the second scale, which is tilted about the direction of the longitudinal extent thereof relative to the horizontal plane of movement, and are back-reflected to impinge again on the first scale and are recombined there such that a resulting signal beam is subsequently propagated toward a detection unit, via which phase-shifted scanning signals are generatable with respect to a relative movement of the scales along a third perpendicular measuring direction and the first or second measuring direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 2, 2021
    Publication date: August 19, 2021
    Inventors: Thomas Kaelberer, Wolfgang Holzapfel
  • Publication number: 20200363193
    Abstract: An optical position-measuring device for sensing a relative position of two objects, each object being connected to a grating. The optical position-measuring device is configured such that, at one of the gratings, an illumination beam emitted from a light source is split into two sub-beams which, in respective scanning beam paths following the splitting, experience different polarization-optical effects and recombine at one of the gratings. After the differently polarized sub-beams are recombined, a plurality of phase-shifted, displacement-dependent scanning signals are generatable from a resulting signal beam in a detection unit. No separate polarization-optical components are disposed in the scanning beam paths of the sub-beams between splitting and recombination.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 8, 2020
    Publication date: November 19, 2020
    Inventor: Thomas Kaelberer
  • Patent number: 10703265
    Abstract: A lighting device for illuminating the vehicle interior of a motor vehicle is provided. The motor vehicle includes a plurality of light sources for illuminating the vehicle interior and a control device that can be used to actuate the plurality of light sources independently of one another. The motor vehicle further has an operator control device connected to the control device and includes segments and operator control elements that can be used to actuate the light sources independently of one another by a user. A display unit displays at least a partial image of the vehicle interior that can be illuminated or is illuminated by the controllable light sources.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2020
    Assignee: DAIMLER AG
    Inventors: Daniel Fuhrmann, Daniela Knapp, Michael Holz, Florian Staib, Timo Gramlich, Thomas Kälberer
  • Publication number: 20200114817
    Abstract: A lighting device for illuminating the vehicle interior of a motor vehicle is provided. The motor vehicle includes a plurality of light sources for illuminating the vehicle interior and a control device that can be used to actuate the plurality of light sources independently of one another. The motor vehicle further has an operator control device connected to the control device and includes segments and operator control elements that can be used to actuate the light sources independently of one another by a user. A display unit displays at least a partial image of the vehicle interior that can be illuminated or is illuminated by the controllable light sources.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 25, 2018
    Publication date: April 16, 2020
    Inventors: Daniel FUHRMANN, Daniela KNAPP, Michael HOLZ, Florian STAIB, Timo GRAMLICH, Thomas KÄLBERER
  • Patent number: 9921468
    Abstract: An X-Y table with a position-measuring device includes a table which is disposed on a support and is movable on the support so that altogether the table is positionable in a plane parallel to an underlying stationary base. Two groups of scanning heads are disposed on the support. For position measurement in two directions, a respective one of the scanning heads directs light through a respective transmissive scale attached along an edge of the table such that a respective reflective scale, which is stationary relative to a processing tool disposed above the table, reflects the light through the respective transmissive scale back to the respective scanning head. In a central position of the table, the two groups are in positional correspondence with the transmissive scales, and, in either of two edge positions of the table, only one of the two groups is in positional correspondence with the transmissive scales.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: DR. JOHANNES HEIDENHAIN GmbH
    Inventors: Wolfgang Holzapfel, Joerg Drescher, Markus Meissner, Ralph Joerger, Bernhard Musch, Thomas Kaelberer
  • Patent number: 9733068
    Abstract: In an optical position measuring device for detecting the relative position of a first measuring standard and a second measuring standard, movable relative to each other along at least one measuring direction, at a splitting grating, a beam bundle emitted by a light source is split up into at least two partial beam bundles. When passing through scanning beam paths, the partial beam bundles undergo different polarization-optical effects. After the differently polarized partial beam bundles are recombined at a combination grating, a plurality of phase-displaced, displacement-dependent scanning signals is able to be generated from the resulting beam bundle. No polarization-optical components are arranged in the scanning beam paths of the partial beam bundles between the splitting and recombination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2017
    Assignee: DR. JOHANNES HEIDENHAIN GMBH
    Inventors: Jörg Drescher, Wolfgang Holzapfel, Ralph Joerger, Thomas Kälberer, Markus Meissner, Bernhard Musch, Erwin Spanner
  • Publication number: 20170102227
    Abstract: An X-Y table with a position-measuring device includes a table which is disposed on a support and is movable on the support so that altogether the table is positionable in a plane parallel to an underlying stationary base. Two groups of scanning heads are disposed on the support. For position measurement in two directions, a respective one of the scanning heads directs light through a respective transmissive scale attached along an edge of the table such that a respective reflective scale, which is stationary relative to a processing tool disposed above the table, reflects the light through the respective transmissive scale back to the respective scanning head. In a central position of the table, the two groups are in positional correspondence with the transmissive scales, and, in either of two edge positions of the table, only one of the two groups is in positional correspondence with the transmissive scales.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 12, 2016
    Publication date: April 13, 2017
    Inventors: Wolfgang Holzapfel, Joerg Drescher, Markus Meissner, Ralph Joerger, Bernhard Musch, Thomas Kaelberer
  • Patent number: 9389100
    Abstract: An optical position measuring instrument including a first scale having a first graduation, wherein the first scale is disposed movable in a first measuring direction, and at a first defined position in the first measuring direction, the first scale includes a spatially limited first marking that differs from the first graduation. The optical position measuring instrument further including a second scale having a second graduation, wherein the second scale is disposed movable in a second measuring direction, and at a second defined position, the second scale includes a second reference marking that is usable for generating at least one reference signal at a reference position of the second scale only if the first scale is located in the first defined position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2016
    Assignee: DR. JOHANNES HEIDENHAIN GMBH
    Inventors: Wolfgang Holzapfel, Joerg Drescher, Markus Meissner, Ralph Joerger, Bernhard Musch, Thomas Kaelberer
  • Patent number: 9389065
    Abstract: A position-measuring device, as well as a system having such a position-measuring device, is used for determining the position of a first object relative to a second object, the first and the second object being movable relative to one another along at least two measuring directions. The position-measuring device has an optical unit that is linked to one of the two objects and includes at least one light source, a detector system, as well as further optical elements in a defined configuration. In addition, the position-measuring device includes a measuring standard-reflector unit, which is provided on the other object, and has at least two differently formed regions in one track that are optically scannable by the optical unit for position sensing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2016
    Assignee: DR. JOHANNES HEIDENHAIN GMBH
    Inventors: Wolfgang Holzapfel, Joerg Drescher, Markus Meissner, Ralph Joerger, Bernhard Musch, Thomas Kaelberer
  • Publication number: 20150354944
    Abstract: In an optical position measuring device for detecting the relative position of a first measuring standard and a second measuring standard, movable relative to each other along at least one measuring direction, at a splitting grating, a beam bundle emitted by a light source is split up into at least two partial beam bundles. When passing through scanning beam paths, the partial beam bundles undergo different polarization-optical effects. After the differently polarized partial beam bundles are recombined at a combination grating, a plurality of phase-displaced, displacement-dependent scanning signals is able to be generated from the resulting beam bundle. No polarization-optical components are arranged in the scanning beam paths of the partial beam bundles between the splitting and recombination.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 8, 2015
    Publication date: December 10, 2015
    Inventors: Jörg Drescher, Wolfgang Holzapfel, Ralph Joerger, Thomas Kälberer, Markus Meissner, Bernhard Musch, Erwin Spanner
  • Patent number: 9200893
    Abstract: In position-measuring devices and a systems having a plurality of position-measuring devices for determining the position of an object in several spatial degrees of freedom, the plurality of optical position-measuring devices scan the object from a single probing direction, and the probing direction coincides with one of the two main axes of motion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2015
    Assignee: DR. JOHANNES HEIDENHAIN GMBH
    Inventors: Wolfgang Holzapfel, Joerg Drescher, Markus Meissner, Ralph Joerger, Bernhard Musch, Thomas Kaelberer
  • Patent number: 9188424
    Abstract: An interferometer includes a light source and a beam splitter, via which the beam of rays emitted by the light source is split into a measurement beam and a reference beam. The measurement beam propagates in a measuring arm extending in a first direction between the beam splitter and a measuring reflector. The measuring reflector brings about an offset perpendicular to the direction of incidence between the measurement beam falling on it and the measurement beam reflected back by it. In a reference arm extending in a second direction, the reference beam propagates between the beam splitter and a reference reflector. In addition, the interferometer has a detector system, to which the superposed and recombined measurement beam and reference beam are able to be supplied, and via which a distance-dependent interference signal with respect to the position of the measuring reflector is able to be generated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2015
    Assignee: DR. JOHANNES HEIDENHAIN GMBH
    Inventors: Wolfgang Holzapfel, Joerg Drescher, Markus Meissner, Ralph Joerger, Bernhard Musch, Erwin Spanner, Thomas Kaelberer
  • Patent number: 9151593
    Abstract: In a system and a method for positioning a processing tool in relation to a workpiece, an object alignment mark and the workpiece are situated on a first object. In addition, a workpiece alignment mark is situated on the workpiece. The processing tool via which the object alignment mark is detectable is situated on a second object, which is disposed so as to be displaceable along at least one movement direction in relation to the first object. Furthermore, an alignment sensor is disposed thereon, with whose aid the object alignment mark and the workpiece alignment mark are detectable. In addition, a scannable measuring standard, which extends along the at least one movement direction, is disposed on the second object. At least two scanning units for scanning the measuring standard are situated on the first object in order to thereby determine the relative position between the first and the second object along the movement direction, the two scanning units having a defined offset.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2015
    Assignee: DR. JOHANNES HEIDENHAIN GMBH
    Inventors: Wolfgang Holzapfel, Joerg Drescher, Markus Meissner, Ralph Joerger, Bernhard Musch, Thomas Kaelberer
  • Patent number: 8842295
    Abstract: In a system for detecting the position of an object in relation to a reference system, the object is arranged so as to be movable in relation to the reference system along at least two orthogonal first and second main movement axes. To record the position of the object in relation to the reference system, a position measuring device includes at least two two-dimensional measuring standards situated along the first main movement axis, and four scanning units for an optical scanning of these measuring standards. In addition, at least four additional supplementary scanning units are provided, which are situated between the four scanning units along the first main movement axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2014
    Assignee: Johannes Heidenhain GmbH
    Inventors: Wolfgang Holzapfel, Joerg Drescher, Markus Meissner, Ralph Joerger, Bernhard Musch, Thomas Kaelberer