Patents by Inventor Tobias BODENSTEIN

Tobias BODENSTEIN 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: 11970061
    Abstract: The invention relates to an input assembly, comprising a carrier, an input part, which is mounted on the carrier in a manner capable of vibrating along at least one direction of movement) by means of mounting means, with an input surface intended to be touched by an operator and with a touch-detection device for detecting a touch upon the input surface by the operator, an electromagnetic actuator for exciting a movement of the input part along the direction of movement by means of an electric control signal in order to generate a haptic feedback for the operator in the case of a touch by the operator, wherein the actuator has a resiliently mounted additional mass and the actuator is attached to the input part via a vibration isolator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: PREH GMBH
    Inventors: Tobias Bodenstein, Andreas Kramlich
  • Publication number: 20240118750
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an operating member including a carrier; an actuation part; and an actuation portion surrounded by a flexible insulation portion, wherein the actuation portion can vibrate relative to the carrier; detection means detecting a touch on the actuation surface and/or an actuation of the actuation part; an actuator fixed on the actuation portion of the actuation part, wherein an electrical excitation signal is applied by the detection means during a positive detection of an actuation or touch; wherein a dynamic rigidity of the actuation part determined along a measurement section with a maximum length of 1 cm, located on the visible surface, varies such that a first transfer function determined at a beginning of the measurement section, for a continuous frequency range between 30 and 1,000 Hz, differs from a second transfer function determined at an end of the measurement section for the same frequency range.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 22, 2023
    Publication date: April 11, 2024
    Applicant: Preh GmbH
    Inventor: Tobias BODENSTEIN
  • Publication number: 20240004473
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an input device including an operating part with an input surface; a carrier; a mount that is adapted to mount the operating part on the carrier in a restoring manner, which are configured to mount the operating part to deflect from a rest position in a deflection direction substantially parallel to the input surface and to elastically restore to the rest position; and an actuator for an excitation of movement of the operating part in the deflection direction to generate a haptic feedback for an operator; wherein the mount comprises two spring members, which extend substantially parallel to one another and substantially parallel to the input surface, and which respectively have one leaf spring strip having a spring steel and three fastening members in which the leaf spring strip is positively accommodated, wherein the fastening members are arranged in a uniformly spaced-apart manner.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2023
    Publication date: January 4, 2024
    Applicant: Preh GmbH
    Inventors: Michael MILLER, Thilo SCHULTHEIS, Tobias BODENSTEIN, Michael SCHWAB
  • Publication number: 20230347963
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an operating member including a support; an actuating part, which has an actuating surface facing towards an operator, and the actuating part has an edge region, which is provided outside the actuating surface and via which the actuating part is supported on the support; wherein the actuating part has a layer structure, defining the actuating surface, and the layer structure has at least two layers that differ in the modulus of elasticity; wherein, in a transitional region between the edge region and the actuating surface, a layer with the smallest modulus of elasticity is a highly elastic layer, and has the greatest layer thickness compared to other layers of the layer structure, in order to provide an elastic compliance of the actuating part; a force sensor disposed between the support and the actuating part detects a displacement of the actuating part.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 28, 2021
    Publication date: November 2, 2023
    Applicant: Preh GmbH
    Inventors: Dennis LOEPPEN, Frank DANGEL, Tobias BODENSTEIN, Peter LOCHNER, Jochen SCHUHMANN
  • Publication number: 20230113215
    Abstract: The invention relates to an input assembly, comprising a carrier, an input part, which is mounted on the carrier in a manner capable of vibrating along at least one direction of movement) by means of mounting means, with an input surface intended to be touched by an operator and with a touch-detection device for detecting a touch upon the input surface by the operator, an electromagnetic actuator for exciting a movement of the input part along the direction of movement by means of an electric control signal in order to generate a haptic feedback for the operator in the case of a touch by the operator, wherein the actuator has a resiliently mounted additional mass and the actuator is attached to the input part via a vibration isolator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 17, 2020
    Publication date: April 13, 2023
    Applicant: PREH GMBH
    Inventors: Tobias BODENSTEIN, Andreas KRAMLICH
  • Patent number: 10712825
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a touch-sensitive input device, including: a support; a touch-sensitive input component mounted on the support by a first spring means to elastically return along a deflection direction and is oscillation-capable; an absorber body mounted on the support by a second spring means to be movable along the deflection direction in an elastically returning and oscillation-capable manner; an actuating mechanism acting on the absorber body and the input component, with at least one direction of action having a component of the direction of action parallel to the deflection direction to cause a movement of the input component for generating haptic feedback along the deflection direction and cause movement of the absorber body in the direction opposite the movement of the input component; a mechanical trimming device for changing an effective spring length of a spring of the first spring means or the second spring means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2020
    Assignee: PREH GMBH
    Inventors: Tobias Bodenstein, Florian Wilm
  • Patent number: 10540012
    Abstract: An input device for generating improved haptic feedback. The input device includes a housing and an input component that defines a control surface and is movably supported on the housing with at least two degrees of freedom and associated mechanical natural frequencies. The input device is designed to assign a switching or controlling function to an operator touching or pressing the control surface, where the input device further has mechanical restoring means for restoring the input component into a rest position and an electromechanical actuator, where the actuator is designed to drive the input component along the at least two degrees of freedom and optionally decelerate the input component, counteracting the restoring force caused by the mechanical restoring means, in order to generate haptic feedback characterized in that the mechanical natural frequencies of the at least two degrees of freedom have a maximum deviation of less than 100 Hz.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2020
    Assignee: PREH GMBH
    Inventors: Tobias Bodenstein, Frederik Püschel, Karl Göb
  • Patent number: 10481694
    Abstract: A touch-sensitive input device includes a support, an input part with a touch-sensitive input surface, an elastic device which bears the input part at the support, an electromagnetic actuator which acts between the input part and the support to produce a deflection of the input part out of a resting position, and control electronics. The electromagnetic actuator comprises a coil with a cavity, a core arranged at least in part in the cavity, and an armature arranged outside the cavity. The core generates a magnetic field defining a pole direction. The armature interacts with the magnetic field. The control electronics generate an electrical control signal for the coil to produce the deflection of the input part out of the resting position and to provide a maximum deflection of the input part. A duration of the electrical control signal is limited so as to provide, after the deflection, a haptic feedback.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2019
    Assignee: PREH GMBH
    Inventor: Tobias Bodenstein
  • Publication number: 20190310708
    Abstract: A touch-sensitive input device includes a support, an input part with a touch-sensitive input surface, an elastic device which bears the input part at the support, an electromagnetic actuator which acts between the input part and the support to produce a deflection of the input part out of a resting position, and control electronics. The electromagnetic actuator comprises a coil with a cavity, a core arranged at least in part in the cavity, and an armature arranged outside the cavity. The core generates a magnetic field defining a pole direction. The armature interacts with the magnetic field. The control electronics generate an electrical control signal for the coil to produce the deflection of the input part out of the resting position and to provide a maximum deflection of the input part. A duration of the electrical control signal is limited so as to provide, after the deflection, a haptic feedback.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 14, 2018
    Publication date: October 10, 2019
    Applicant: PREH GMBH
    Inventor: TOBIAS BODENSTEIN
  • Publication number: 20190302888
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a touch-sensitive input device, including: a support; a touch-sensitive input component mounted on the support by a first spring means to elastically return along a deflection direction and is oscillation-capable; an absorber body mounted on the support by a second spring means to be movable along the deflection direction in an elastically returning and oscillation-capable manner; an actuating mechanism acting on the absorber body and the input component, with at least one direction of action having a component of the direction of action parallel to the deflection direction to cause a movement of the input component for generating haptic feedback along the deflection direction and cause movement of the absorber body in the direction opposite the movement of the input component; a mechanical trimming device for changing an effective spring length of a spring of the first spring means or the second spring means.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 15, 2019
    Publication date: October 3, 2019
    Applicant: PREH GMBH
    Inventors: Tobias BODENSTEIN, Florian WILM
  • Patent number: 10353382
    Abstract: An assembly consisting of a control member which comprises a carrier, an operating part movably supported on the carrier, an electromagnetic actuator comprising an armature and a coil for driving the operating part movingly relative to the carrier is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: Preh GmbH
    Inventor: Tobias Bodenstein
  • Patent number: 10177762
    Abstract: A control element comprising a support; a control part which defines at least one operating surface, which is movable or elastically yielding if an operating force F acts upon the operating surface; a layer structure that is disposed between the control part and the support and that is elastically deformed if an operating force F acts on the operating surface. The layer structure has at least one first electrode associated with the support and a second electrode, which is associated with the control part and disposed underneath the operating surface, for the definition of a measuring capacity varying in accordance with the operating force. The layer structure further has an intermediate layer having a recess which is disposed between the first and second electrodes for defining a hollow chamber; and means for venting the hollow chamber. The means for venting is integrated at least partially into the intermediate layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2019
    Assignee: Preh GmbH
    Inventors: Alain Dani, Xiaoxi Li, Jochen Schlereth, Tobias Bodenstein
  • Publication number: 20180240613
    Abstract: An input device for generating improved haptic feedback. The input device includes a housing and an input component that defines a control surface and is movably supported on the housing with at least two degrees of freedom and associated mechanical natural frequencies. The input device is designed to assign a switching or controlling function to an operator touching or pressing the control surface, where the input device further has mechanical restoring means for restoring the input component into a rest position and an electromechanical actuator, where the actuator is designed to drive the input component along the at least two degrees of freedom and optionally decelerate the input component, counteracting the restoring force caused by the mechanical restoring means, in order to generate haptic feedback characterized in that the mechanical natural frequencies of the at least two degrees of freedom have a maximum deviation of less than 100 Hz.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 12, 2018
    Publication date: August 23, 2018
    Applicant: PREH GMBH
    Inventors: Tobias BODENSTEIN, Frederik PÜSCHEL, Karl GÖB
  • Publication number: 20170139405
    Abstract: An assembly consisting of a control member which comprises a carrier, an operating part movably supported on the carrier, an electromagnetic actuator comprising an armature and a coil for driving the operating part movingly relative to the carrier is provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 10, 2016
    Publication date: May 18, 2017
    Applicant: Preh GmbH
    Inventor: Tobias BODENSTEIN