Patents by Inventor Thomas MITTERLEHNER
Thomas MITTERLEHNER 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: 11592153Abstract: A lighting device (10) for a motor vehicle headlamp, which lighting device comprises the following: at least one first light source (50) for radiating light beams in a first radiation direction (X1), a first deflection device (100) with a deflection surface (110), which is set up to deflect at least a portion of the light beams of the at least one first light source (50) in a second radiation direction (X2), and a second deflection device (200) with a multiplicity of deflection elements which can be controlled and moved independently of one another for deflecting at least a portion of the light beams of the light beams deflected by the first deflection device (100) in a third radiation direction (X3) and for creating a light distribution in front of the lighting device (10), wherein the first deflection device (100) comprises at least one second light source (60), which at least one second light source (60) has a main radiation direction in which light beams of the second light source can be emitted, whereType: GrantFiled: December 12, 2019Date of Patent: February 28, 2023Assignee: ZKW Group GmbHInventors: Stefan Mitterlehner, Thomas Mitterlehner
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Publication number: 20220065420Abstract: A lighting device (10) for a motor vehicle headlamp, which lighting device comprises the following: at least one first light source (50) for radiating light beams in a first radiation direction (X1), a first deflection device (100) with a deflection surface (110), which is set up to deflect at least a portion of the light beams of the at least one first light source (50) in a second radiation direction (X2), and a second deflection device (200) with a multiplicity of deflection elements which can be controlled and moved independently of one another for deflecting at least a portion of the light beams of the light beams deflected by the first deflection device (100) in a third radiation direction (X3) and for creating a light distribution in front of the lighting device (10), wherein the first deflection device (100) comprises at least one second light source (60), which at least one second light source (60) has a main radiation direction in which light beams of the second light source can be emitted, whereType: ApplicationFiled: December 12, 2019Publication date: March 3, 2022Inventors: Stefan Mitterlehner, Thomas Mitterlehner
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Patent number: 11262045Abstract: The invention relates to a circuit assembly (1) comprising a printed circuit board (2), at least one micromirror component (3) which is connected to the printed circuit board (2) for modulating a light beam oriented towards the micromirror component (3), a cooling body which is thermally connected to the at least one micromirror component (3), and a current regulating unit (5). The micromirror component (3) has a heating element (3a) which can be controlled by the current regulating unit (5), and the current regulating unit (5) is electrically connected to the heating element (3a) in order to actuate same. The current regulating unit (5) is additionally connected to the micromirror component (3) via a thermal connection to the cooling body (4) in order to transfer heat losses occurring on the current regulating unit (5).Type: GrantFiled: January 11, 2019Date of Patent: March 1, 2022Assignee: ZKW Group GmbHInventor: Thomas Mitterlehner
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Publication number: 20210018157Abstract: The invention relates to a circuit assembly (1) comprising a printed circuit board (2), at least one micromirror component (3) which is connected to the printed circuit board (2) for modulating a light beam oriented towards the micromirror component (3), a cooling body which is thermally connected to the at least one micromirror component (3), and a current regulating unit (5). The micromirror component (3) has a heating element (3a) which can be controlled by the current regulating unit (5), and the current regulating unit (5) is electrically connected to the heating element (3a) in order to actuate same. The current regulating unit (5) is additionally connected to the micromirror component (3) via a thermal connection to the cooling body (4) in order to transfer heat losses occurring on the current regulating unit (5).Type: ApplicationFiled: January 11, 2019Publication date: January 21, 2021Inventor: Thomas MITTERLEHNER
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Patent number: 10801689Abstract: The invention relates to a method for controlling a motor vehicle headlight which at least comprises a laser diode (1) and a light conversion element (8) paired with the laser diode (1). Light conversion element (8) regions corresponding to different regions of the light image (11?) can be illuminated periodically and with a varying intensity by means of a light beam (2) of the laser diode (1), and the illumination intensity in the light conversion element (8) regions corresponding to the different regions of the light image (11?) is adjusted simultaneously by both the relative illumination duration of the different regions as well as different luminous intensities of the laser diode (1) in the light conversion element (8) regions corresponding to the different regions of the light image (11?).Type: GrantFiled: December 19, 2016Date of Patent: October 13, 2020Assignee: ZKW Group GmbHInventors: Thomas Mitterlehner, Jan Koller, Emanuel Weber, Patrik Schantl
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Patent number: 10670220Abstract: The invention relates to a method for controlling a laser illumination device for a motor vehicle headlight, wherein the laser illumination device comprises two or more adjustable laser light sources (11 to 18), wherein the number of laser light sources is designated as N, and each laser light source generates a laser beam (11p to 18p) and at least one optical attachment (21 to 28) is arranged downstream of each laser light source and at least one microscanner (51, 52) is assigned, and each microscanner is arranged to guide two or more laser beams onto at least one light conversion means (60), wherein on the at least one light conversion means a luminous image is produced, and an imaging system (PS) is associated with the at least one light conversion means in order to project the luminous image as a light image onto the road, wherein the method includes the following steps: dividing at least a part of the luminous image into luminous strips, wherein the number of luminous strips is designated as n, determiniType: GrantFiled: July 20, 2016Date of Patent: June 2, 2020Assignee: ZKW GROUP GMBHInventors: Markus Reinprecht, Bettina Reisinger, Thomas Mitterlehner
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Patent number: 10344932Abstract: Method for producing a light distribution on a road (8) using a motor vehicle headlight, wherein at least one laser beam (2) that can be modulated in intensity is directed in at least one coordinate direction in a scanning manner to a light conversion means (5) using at least one controlled beam deflection means (3) in order to generate an illuminated image (6) on same, said illuminated image being projected as a light image (6?) onto the road using projection optics (7), wherein the image generated from the laser beam (2) using the beam deflection means (3) is split by deflecting the laser beam (2?) by means of an image convolution means (4), and the sub-images are projected in a mirror-imaged manner in relation to a division line onto the light conversion means (5) to be combined and form an entire illuminated image (6).Type: GrantFiled: October 13, 2015Date of Patent: July 9, 2019Assignee: ZKW Group GmbHInventors: Bettina Reisinger, Markus Reinprecht, Thomas Mitterlehner
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Patent number: 10281717Abstract: For measuring the oscillation amplitude of a scanner mirror in a projection system of a motor vehicle headlight, a laser beam generated by a laser source is directed onto the scanner mirror and reflected by the latter so that the laser beam thus reflected is incident on a detector device (20) that has a plurality of photodetector elements (Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4) and there describes a curve (P) based on the oscillation movement of the scanner mirror. The center point of the curve (P) is offset by an offset value (xoffset, yoffset) from the center of the detector device (20). The time period (tON,X, tON,Y) in which the curve passes through the specific detector region (RX, RY) that corresponds to a coordinate to be measured is determined; and the oscillation amplitude (xpp, ypp) in the direction of the specific coordinate is determined using the ratio of the time period (tON,X, tON,Y) determined in this manner to the total duration (T) of an oscillation period and the offsets (xoffset, yoffset).Type: GrantFiled: October 29, 2015Date of Patent: May 7, 2019Assignee: ZKW Group GmbHInventors: Thomas Mitterlehner, Christian Kalousek
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Patent number: 10207630Abstract: The invention relates to a method for controlling a light scanner (7) in a headlight for vehicles, wherein the laser beam of at least one modulated laser light source (1) is directed in a scanning manner, by way of the light scanner, onto a light conversion means (8) so as to generate a light image (11) thereon, which is projected via an imaging system (12) as a light image (11?) onto the roadway, a micromirror (10) of the light scanner is pivoted according to defined characteristic control curves in at least one coordinate direction, the desired light image (11) is divided into a pixel set having n rows and/or m columns, the horizontal and/or vertical characteristic control curves for the micromirror (10) are adapted to at least one selected row and/or column in terms of the required optical power of the pixels, and the adapted horizontal and/or vertical characteristic control curves are used to control the micromirror.Type: GrantFiled: March 10, 2016Date of Patent: February 19, 2019Assignee: ZKW GROUP GMBHInventors: Bettina Reisinger, Thomas Mitterlehner
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Publication number: 20190011107Abstract: The invention relates to a method for controlling a motor vehicle headlight which at least comprises a laser diode (1) and a light conversion element (8) paired with the laser diode (1). Light conversion element (8) regions corresponding to different regions of the light image (11?) can be illuminated periodically and with a varying intensity by means of a light beam (2) of the laser diode (1), and the illumination intensity in the light conversion element (8) regions corresponding to the different regions of the light image (11?) is adjusted simultaneously by both the relative illumination duration of the different regions as well as different luminous intensities of the laser diode (1) in the light conversion element (8) regions corresponding to the different regions of the light image (11?).Type: ApplicationFiled: December 19, 2016Publication date: January 10, 2019Inventors: Thomas MITTERLEHNER, Jan KOLLER, Emanuel WEBER, Patrik SCHANTL
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Publication number: 20180224082Abstract: The invention relates to a method for controlling a laser illumination device for a motor vehicle headlight; wherein the laser illumination device comprises two or more adjustable laser light sources (11 to 18); wherein the number of laser light sources is designated as N, and each laser light source generates a laser beam (11p to 18p) and at least one optical attachment (21 to 28) is arranged downstream of each laser light source and at least one microscanner (51, 52) is assigned, mid each microscanner is arranged to guide two or more laser beams onto at least one light conversion means (60), wherein on the at least one light conversion means a luminous image is produced, and an imaging system (PS) is associated with the at least one light conversion means in order to project the luminous image as a light image onto the road, wherein the method includes the following steps: dividing at least a part of the luminous image into luminous strips, wherein the number of luminous strips is designated as n, determiniType: ApplicationFiled: July 20, 2016Publication date: August 9, 2018Inventors: Markus REINPRECHT, Bettina REISINGER, Thomas MITTERLEHNER
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Patent number: 10018319Abstract: In order to determine a zero position of the actuating drive (14) of a luminous range adjustment of a light module (10) in a headlamp for vehicles, light coming from the light source (1) is directed onto an absorber surface (12). The absorber surface (12) has an opening, through which light passes as a delimited light beam (17). By means of the actuating drive (14), the light module (10) is pivoted in terms of its angle position, an intensity of the light beam (17) passing through the opening being detected by means of a light-sensitive sensor (15) which is arranged behind the absorber surface (12).Type: GrantFiled: January 24, 2017Date of Patent: July 10, 2018Assignee: ZKW GROUP GMBHInventors: Peter Mayer, Thomas Mitterlehner
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Publication number: 20180147978Abstract: The invention relates to a method for controlling a light scanner (7) in a headlight for vehicles, wherein the laser beam of at least one modulated laser light source (1) is directed in a scanning manner, by way of the light scanner, onto a light conversion means (8) so as to generate a light image (11) thereon, which is projected via an imaging system (12) as a light image (11?) onto the roadway, a micromirror (10) of the light scanner is pivoted according to defined characteristic control curves in at least one coordinate direction, the desired light image (11) is divided into a pixel set having n rows and/or m columns, the horizontal and/or vertical characteristic control curves for the micromirror (10) are adapted to at least one selected row and/or column in terms of the required optical power of the pixels, and the adapted horizontal and/or vertical characteristic control curves are used to control the micromirror.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 10, 2016Publication date: May 31, 2018Applicant: ZKW Group GmbHInventors: Bettina REISINGER, Thomas MITTERLEHNER
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Publication number: 20180135824Abstract: In order to determine a zero position of the actuating drive (14) of a luminous range adjustment of a light module (10) in a headlamp for vehicles, light coming from the light source (1) is directed onto an absorber surface (12). The absorber surface (12) has an opening, through which light passes as a delimited light beam (17). By means of the actuating drive (14), the light module (10) is pivoted in terms of its angle position, an intensity of the light beam (17) passing through the opening being detected by means of a light-sensitive sensor (15) which is arranged behind the absorber surface (12).Type: ApplicationFiled: January 24, 2017Publication date: May 17, 2018Inventors: Peter MAYER, Thomas MITTERLEHNER
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Publication number: 20170329130Abstract: For measuring the oscillation amplitude of a scanner mirror in a projection system of a motor vehicle headlight, a laser beam generated by a laser source is directed onto the scanner mirror and reflected by the latter so that the laser beam thus reflected is incident on a detector device (20) that has a plurality of photodetector elements (Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4) and there describes a curve (P) based on the oscillation movement of the scanner mirror. The center point of the curve (P) is offset by an offset value (xoffset, yoffset) from the center of the detector device (20). The time period (tON,X, tON,Y) in which the curve passes through the specific detector region (RX, RY) that corresponds to a coordinate to be measured is determined; and the oscillation amplitude (xpp, ypp) in the direction of the specific coordinate is determined using the ratio of the time period (tON,X, tON,Y) determined in this manner to the total duration (T) of an oscillation period and the offsets (xoffset, yoffset).Type: ApplicationFiled: October 29, 2015Publication date: November 16, 2017Inventors: Thomas MITTERLEHNER, Christian KALOUSEK
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Publication number: 20170321857Abstract: Method for producing a light distribution on a road (8) using a motor vehicle headlight, wherein at least one laser beam (2) that can be modulated in intensity is directed in at least one coordinate direction in a scanning manner to a light conversion means (5) using at least one controlled beam deflection means (3) in order to generate an illuminated image (6) on same, said illuminated image being projected as a light image (6?) onto the road using projection optics (7), wherein the image generated from the laser beam (2) using the beam deflection means (3) is split by deflecting the laser beam (2?) by means of an image convolution means (4), and the sub-images are projected in a mirror-imaged manner in relation to a division line onto the light conversion means (5) to be combined and form an entire illuminated image (6).Type: ApplicationFiled: October 13, 2015Publication date: November 9, 2017Applicant: ZKW Group GmbHInventors: Bettina REISINGER, Markus REINPRECHT, Thomas MITTERLEHNER
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Patent number: 9625113Abstract: A vehicle headlight having at least one laser light source (2), of which the laser beam (3) is deflected onto a lighting surface (6) having a light-conversion phosphor via a micromirror (1) that can be pivoted about at least one axis in order to generate a light image on said lighting surface in a scanning manner, which light image can be projected onto a roadway via an optics unit (7). In this headlight at least one photosensor (9) is positioned with respect to the lighting surface (6) having the light-conversion phosphor such that the photosensor detects a secondary laser beam (8) emitted from the lighting surface in predetermined deflection positions of the micromirror (1) and is designed to emit a signal (s).Type: GrantFiled: May 22, 2014Date of Patent: April 18, 2017Assignee: ZKW GROUP GMBHInventor: Thomas Mitterlehner
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Publication number: 20160153632Abstract: A vehicle headlight having at least one laser light source (2), of which the laser beam (3) is deflected onto a lighting surface (6) having a light-conversion phosphor via a micromirror (1) that can be pivoted about at least one axis in order to generate a light image on said lighting surface in a scanning manner, which light image can be projected onto a roadway via an optics unit (7). In this headlight at least one photosensor (9) is positioned with respect to the lighting surface (6) having the light-conversion phosphor such that the photosensor detects a secondary laser beam (8) emitted from the lighting surface in predetermined deflection positions of the micromirror (1) and is designed to emit a signal (s).Type: ApplicationFiled: May 22, 2014Publication date: June 2, 2016Inventor: Thomas MITTERLEHNER