Patents by Inventor Thomas Theel

Thomas Theel 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: 10486663
    Abstract: In a method and apparatus for stabilizing running of a wobbling trailer towed by a vehicle, a tandem of trailer and vehicle is braked by a brake device activated by a control device. The braking process is triggered, when an amplitude of the oscillation of the trailer exceeds a predetermined value. As a result, the tandem is decelerated to a speed at which the amplitude of the oscillation of the trailer falls below a predetermined value. The tandem is decelerated more intensely in the case of a wobbling trailer and when travelling at a first travelling speed than in the case of a wobbling trailer and when travelling at a second travelling speed which is lower than the first travelling speed, and the tandem is braked in presence of the first driving speed during exceeding a lower value of the amplitude than in the presence of the second driving speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2019
    Assignees: AUDI AG, CONTINENTAL TEVES AG & CO. OHG
    Inventors: Thomas Theel, Matthias Muntu, Volker Bremeier
  • Patent number: 10166986
    Abstract: A method for operating a drive device for a motor vehicle includes: during a coasting operation of the motor vehicle in which a shifting clutch is open and the internal combustion engine stands still starting the internal combustion engine in a first operating mode with the electric machine and in a second operating mode by at least partially closing the shifting clutch with a coupling torque set at the shifting clutch, thereby operatively connecting the internal combustion engine with at least one wheel, wherein the internal combustion engine is started in the first operating mode when a predictively determined wheel slip predictive value exceeds a wheel slip setpoint value, and wherein when the internal combustion engine is started in the second operating mode the electric machine is used for starting the internal combustion engine and for driving the at least one wheel when a wheel slip actual value exceeds the wheel slip setpoint value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2019
    Assignee: Audi AG
    Inventors: Thomas Theel, Andras Eppel, Jörg Au
  • Patent number: 9862385
    Abstract: In a method of operating a drive device for a motor vehicle, a clutch is at least partly engaged, while an internal combustion engine of the drive device is inactive during coasting of the motor vehicle and the clutch is disengaged, to crank and thereby start the internal combustion engine with a clutch torque applied to the clutch. The clutch torque is hereby determined from a default wheel slip value which is based on a motor vehicle parameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: AUDI AG
    Inventors: Thomas Theel, Andras Eppel, Jörg Au
  • Publication number: 20170183011
    Abstract: In a method of operating a drive device for a motor vehicle, a clutch is at least partly engaged, while an internal combustion engine of the drive device is inactive during coasting of the motor vehicle and the clutch is disengaged, to crank and thereby start the internal combustion engine with a clutch torque applied to the clutch. The clutch torque is hereby determined from a default wheel slip value which is based on a motor vehicle parameter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 23, 2016
    Publication date: June 29, 2017
    Applicant: Audi AG
    Inventors: Thomas Theel, Andras Eppel, Jörg Au
  • Publication number: 20170183010
    Abstract: A method for operating a drive device for a motor vehicle includes: during a coasting operation of the motor vehicle in which a shifting clutch is open and the internal combustion engine stands still starting the internal combustion engine in a first operating mode with the electric machine and in a second operating mode by at least partially closing the shifting clutch with a coupling torque set at the shifting clutch, thereby operatively connecting the internal combustion engine with at least one wheel, wherein the internal combustion engine is started in the first operating mode when a predictively determined wheel slip predictive value exceeds a wheel slip setpoint value, and wherein when the internal combustion engine is started in the second operating mode the electric machine is used for starting the internal combustion engine and for driving the at least one wheel when a wheel slip actual value exceeds the wheel slip setpoint value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 23, 2016
    Publication date: June 29, 2017
    Applicant: AUDI AG
    Inventors: THOMAS THEEL, Andras Eppel, Jörg Au
  • Patent number: 8762038
    Abstract: A vehicle has a drive unit driving wheels of a vehicle axle and braking the vehicle via a drive train in drag mode, an electronic control unit measuring actual wheel rotational speeds of the wheels, and a brake booster for reducing the actuating force at the brake pedal. A test unit is assigned to the electronic control unit and performs a plausibility check of the actual wheel rotational speeds in drag mode, wherein the test unit activates during the plausibility check the vehicle brake of one of the vehicle wheels and detects, from the rotational speed behavior of the wheel with a non-activated vehicle brake, whether the measured actual wheel rotational speeds correlate with the actual vehicle speed. A brake booster can be actuated by the test unit during the plausibility check in order to activate the vehicle brake.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Assignee: Audi AG
    Inventor: Thomas Theel
  • Publication number: 20140058641
    Abstract: A vehicle has a drive unit driving wheels of a vehicle axle and braking the vehicle via a drive train in drag mode, an electronic control unit measuring actual wheel rotational speeds of the wheels, and a brake booster for reducing the actuating force at the brake pedal. A test unit is assigned to the electronic control unit and performs a plausibility check of the actual wheel rotational speeds in drag mode, wherein the test unit activates during the plausibility check the vehicle brake of one of the vehicle wheels and detects, from the rotational speed behavior of the wheel with a non-activated vehicle brake, whether the measured actual wheel rotational speeds correlate with the actual vehicle speed. A brake booster can be actuated by the test unit during the plausibility check in order to activate the vehicle brake.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2011
    Publication date: February 27, 2014
    Applicant: Audi AG
    Inventor: Thomas Theel
  • Publication number: 20140025273
    Abstract: In a method and apparatus for stabilizing running of a wobbling trailer towed by a vehicle, a tandem of trailer and vehicle is braked by a brake device activated by a control device. The braking process is triggered, when an amplitude of the oscillation of the trailer exceeds a predetermined value. As a result, the tandem is decelerated to a speed at which the amplitude of the oscillation of the trailer falls below a predetermined value. The tandem is decelerated more intensely in the case of a wobbling trailer and when travelling at a first travelling speed than in the case of a wobbling trailer and when travelling at a second travelling speed which is lower than the first travelling speed, and the tandem is braked in presence of the first driving speed during exceeding a lower value of the amplitude than in the presence of the second driving speed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 2, 2012
    Publication date: January 23, 2014
    Applicant: Audi AG
    Inventors: Thomas Theel, Matthias Muntu, Volker Bremeier