Patents by Inventor Thorsten Fuchs

Thorsten Fuchs 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: 9637049
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for detecting an operator control event using a sensor arrangement having at least one proximity sensor and a sensor controller, the operator control event being generated by a user of a vehicle. A first coarse evaluation of the sensor measured values for the occurrence of an operator control sign is carried out, that a predetermined number of the respective last sensor measured values of at least one sensor element are buffered, that the detection of an operator control sign triggers a fine evaluation of the sensor measured values for verifying the occurrence of an operator control event at a triggering time, and that the fine evaluation is based on the buffered sensor measured values and on the temporally subsequent sensor measured values, with the result that sensor measured values both before and after the triggering time are included in the fine evaluation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: Brose Fahrzeugteile GmbH & Co. KG, Hallstadt
    Inventors: Detlef Russ, Holger Wuerstlein, Thorsten Fuchs
  • Publication number: 20140324273
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for detecting an operator control event using a sensor arrangement having at least one proximity sensor and a sensor controller, the operator control event being generated by a user of a vehicle. A first coarse evaluation of the sensor measured values for the occurrence of an operator control sign is carried out, that a predetermined number of the respective last sensor measured values of at least one sensor element are buffered, that the detection of an operator control sign triggers a fine evaluation of the sensor measured values for verifying the occurrence of an operator control event at a triggering time, and that the fine evaluation is based on the buffered sensor measured values and on the temporally subsequent sensor measured values, with the result that sensor measured values both before and after the triggering time are included in the fine evaluation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 23, 2011
    Publication date: October 30, 2014
    Applicant: BROSE FAHRZEUGTEILE GMBH & CO. KG, HALLSTADT
    Inventors: Detlef Russ, Holger Wuerstlein, Thorsten Fuchs
  • Patent number: 8843277
    Abstract: A method for operating the electrical system of a motor vehicle having a control unit with an operating mode and an energy-saving standby mode is described. A wake-up operator control event is detected by a sensor and has an associated time interval from the preceding wake-up operator control event. The time interval is ascertained when a wake-up operator control event is detected, and the control unit is woken up or not woken up. Each wake-up operator control event has an associated switch-off indicator which is ascertained each time a wake-up operator control event is detected, and the control unit is woken up or not woken up as a function of the level of the switch-off indicator with reference to a switch-off threshold. A change in the current switch-off indicator relative to the preceding switch-off indicator is all the greater the smaller the current time interval.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2014
    Assignee: Brose Fahrzeugteile GmbH & Co. KG, Hallstadt
    Inventors: Thorsten Fuchs, Matthias Hering, Holger Wuerstlein, Thomas Schindhelm, Detlef Russ
  • Patent number: 8725440
    Abstract: In order to process a motor signal (Ia, Um) of a DC motor (4), in particular of an adjustment drive of a motor vehicle, the armature current (Ia) and the motor voltage (Um) of the DC motor (4) are detected and used for determining the back-emf (E) of the DC motor (4), wherein the determined back-emf (E) is used to generate a useful signal (Sf, SEFL), which is in particular speed-proportional, from the armature current signal (Ia) for position sensing or for evaluating an excess force limitation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignee: Brose Fahrzeugteile GmbH & Co., KG., Hallstadt
    Inventors: Jovan Knezevic, Wolfgang Uebel, Thorsten Fuchs, Detlef Russ, Stefan Diestler
  • Patent number: 8670899
    Abstract: A method for detection of a control event by a sensor arrangement having at least one sensor element and a sensor controller is described. The sensor controller digitizes sensor signals into sensor measured values. An operator control event is produced by a user and a first coarse evaluation for a sign of operator control is performed and a predetermined number of sensor measured values are progressively buffer-stored in a buffer store wherein detection of a sign of operator control initiates a fine evaluation of the sensor measured values to verify the occurrence of an operator control event at an initiation time. The fine evaluation is based on the buffer-stored sensor measured values and on subsequent sensor measured values, so that the fine evaluation includes sensor measured values both before and after the initiation time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2014
    Assignee: Brose Fahrzeugteile GmbH & Co. KG, Hallstadt
    Inventors: Thorsten Fuchs, Detlef Russ, Matthias Hering, Holger Wuerstlein, Danilo Mueller, Florian Pohl
  • Publication number: 20130131917
    Abstract: A method for detection of a control event by a sensor arrangement having at least one sensor element and a sensor controller is described. The sensor controller digitizes sensor signals into sensor measured values. An operator control event is produced by a user and a first coarse evaluation for a sign of operator control is performed and a predetermined number of sensor measured values are progressively buffer-stored in a buffer store wherein detection of a sign of operator control initiates a fine evaluation of the sensor measured values to verify the occurrence of an operator control event at an initiation time. The fine evaluation is based on the buffer-stored sensor measured values and on subsequent sensor measured values, so that the fine evaluation includes sensor measured values both before and after the initiation time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2011
    Publication date: May 23, 2013
    Applicant: BROSE FAHRZEUGTEILE GMBH & CO. KG, HALLSTADT
    Inventors: Thorsten Fuchs, Detlef Russ, Matthias Hering, Holger Wuerstlein, Danilo Mueller, Florian Pohl
  • Publication number: 20130018551
    Abstract: A method for operating the electrical system of a motor vehicle having a control unit with an operating mode and an energy-saving standby mode is described. A wake-up operator control event is detected by a sensor and has an associated time interval from the preceding wake-up operator control event. The time interval is ascertained when a wake-up operator control event is detected, and the control unit is woken up or not woken up. Each wake-up operator control event has an associated switch-off indicator which is ascertained each time a wake-up operator control event is detected, and the control unit is woken up or not woken up as a function of the level of the switch-off indicator with reference to a switch-off threshold. A change in the current switch-off indicator relative to the preceding switch-off indicator is all the greater the smaller the current time interval.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2011
    Publication date: January 17, 2013
    Applicant: BROSE FAHRZEUGTEILE GMBH & CO. KG, HALLSTADT
    Inventors: Thorsten Fuchs, Matthias Hering, Holger Wuerstlein, Thomas Schindhelm, Detlef Russ
  • Publication number: 20110270558
    Abstract: In order to process a motor signal (Ia, Um) of a DC motor (4), in particular of an adjustment drive of a motor vehicle, the armature current (Ia) and the motor voltage (Um) of the DC motor (4) are detected and used for determining the back-emf (E) of the DC motor (4), wherein the determined back-emf (E) is used to generate a useful signal (Sf, SEEL), which is in particular speed-proportional, from the armature current signal (Ia) for position sensing or for evaluating an excess force limitation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 18, 2009
    Publication date: November 3, 2011
    Applicant: BROSE FAHRZEUGTEILE GMBH & CO.
    Inventors: Jovan Knezevic, Wolfgang Ubel, Thorsten Fuchs, Detlef Russ, Stefan Diestler
  • Patent number: 6943516
    Abstract: A method for controlling a vehicle seat adjuster in an adjusting path having a first mechanical stop and a second mechanical stop. A user sets an adjustment position of the adjuster inside the adjusting path. A protective stop is also automatically set in the adjusting path in the vicinity of the mechanical stops or another mechanical block blocking the adjusting path. The protective stop causes the adjusting motion to be reduced or stopped upon reaching of the protective stop. This helps produce a smooth braking of the vehicle seat and reduces the mechanical strain on the mechanical stops. The protective stop may be corrected with an updated protective stop. The updated protective stop is maintained despite any user action if a condition dependent on the adjusting motion of the adjuster is fulfilled. Learning regions within the adjusting path are provided to allow the setting of updated protective stops within the learning regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2005
    Assignee: Brose Fahrzeugteile GmbH & Co. KG, Coburg
    Inventors: Alexander Woller, Ingo Carl, Michael Steiner, Thorsten Fuchs, Stefan Schiegel, Thomas Rösch
  • Publication number: 20040257019
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for controlling an adjuster on a motor vehicle, in particular for a motor vehicle seat adjustment, with at least one adjustment range between a first stop and a second stop. An adjustment position for the adjuster may be set within the adjustment range by means of a user action, said adjustment position determined within the adjustment range and a protective stop set in the adjustment path, which, depending on the adjuster position, triggers a reduction in the adjustment energy, in particular to stop the adjustment movement in the vicinity of a mechanical block for the adjustment movement. According to the invention, in order to correct the position of the protective stop, a new protective stop is set, which may not be inactivated by a user action, when a condition, dependent on the adjuster motion of the adjuster device is fulfilled.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 21, 2004
    Publication date: December 23, 2004
    Inventors: Alexander Woller, Ingo Carl, Michael Steiner, Thorsten Fuchs, Stefan Schiegel, Thomas Rosch