Patents by Inventor Torsten Bertram

Torsten Bertram 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: 11718300
    Abstract: A method for controlling a motor vehicle (10) traveling on a roadway (12) in a current lane (14) is described, wherein the roadway (12) has at least one additional lane (16) that is adjacent to the current lane (14) of the motor vehicle (10). The method has the following steps: Multiple different driving maneuvers are generated and/or received. At least two driving maneuver classes that are defined based on at least one characteristic variable of the driving maneuvers are determined, wherein the driving maneuvers of various driving maneuver classes differ by at least one characteristic variable. The driving maneuvers are classified in one of the at least two driving maneuver classes. In addition, a control unit (30) for controlling a motor vehicle (10) is described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: ZF AUTOMOTIVE GERMANY GMBH
    Inventors: Christian Wissing, Manuel Schmidt, Andreas Homann, Christian Lienke, Torsten Bertram, Carlo Manna, Karl-Heinz Glander
  • Patent number: 11714418
    Abstract: A method for the automated control of a motor vehicle (10) is presented. The method includes the following steps: Generating and/or receiving a reference trajectory (T*) for the motor vehicle (10); Generating at least two possible trajectories ({circumflex over (x)}i) for the motor vehicle (10); Comparing the at least two possible trajectories ({circumflex over (x)}i) with the reference trajectory (T*); and Selecting one of the at least two possible trajectories ({circumflex over (x)}i) based on the comparison of the at least two possible trajectories ({circumflex over (x)}i) with the reference trajectory (T*). A control device (24) for a system for the control of a motor vehicle (10) is also proposed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2023
    Assignee: ZF FRIEDRICHSHAFEN AG
    Inventors: Markus Buss, Martin Keller, Torsten Bertram, Christian Lienke, Christian Wissing, Andreas Homann, Manuel Schmidt, Niklas Stannartz
  • Patent number: 11661063
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for determining a lane change for a driver assistance system (100) of a vehicle (1), which method comprises calculating (220) a probability that other vehicles (2) are driving at a higher speed in a lane (L2) which is adjacent to a current lane (L1) of the vehicle (1), applying (240) a hysteresis to the calculated probability based on a driving parameter dependent on a last lane change, and issuing (250) a command to change lanes depending on the probability. The invention further relates to a driver assistance system and a vehicle which can carry out such a method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: ZF FRIEDRICHSHAFEN AG
    Inventors: Till Nattermann, Christian Wissing, Manuel Schmidt, Andreas Homann, Christian Lienke, Niklas Stannartz, Torsten Bertram
  • Patent number: 11655642
    Abstract: A large manipulator includes a chassis, a mast pedestal, an articulated mast, and a control unit. The mast pedestal is rotatable around a vertical axis by means of a rotary drive and arranged on the chassis. The articulated mast includes two or more mast arms pivotally-movably connected, via articulated joints, with the respectively adjacent mast pedestal or other mast arm by a pivot drive. The control unit is configured to actuate the pivot drive and/or the rotary drive to move the articulated mast with a control sequence from an initial position of the articulated mast, autonomously, into a pre-specified target position of the articulated mast.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: SCHWING GMBH
    Inventors: Torsten Bertram, Christoph Rösmann, Frank Hoffmann, Freia Irina Muster, Johannes Henikl, Maximilian Krämer
  • Patent number: 11590987
    Abstract: A method for controlling in an automated manner a motor vehicle (10) traveling on a road (12) in a current lane (14) is suggested, wherein the road (12) has at least one further lane (16). The method comprises the following steps: At least two preliminary driving maneuvers are generated and/or received, which include a lane change from the current lane (14) to the at least one further lane (16) and a starting time of the lane change. The starting times of the at least two preliminary driving maneuvers are at different times. The at least two driving maneuvers are compared taking into account the respective starting times. One of the starting times is selected based on the comparison. Further, a control device for a system for controlling a motor vehicle is also suggested.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: ZF FRIEDRICHSHAFEN AG
    Inventors: Till Nattermann, Christian Wissing, Manuel Schmidt, Andreas Homann, Christian Lienke, Niklas Stannartz, Torsten Bertram
  • Patent number: 11462099
    Abstract: A control system for use in a motor vehicle is used for monitoring a current driving situation of the motor vehicle, based on surroundings data of the host motor vehicle in the current driving situation, obtained from at least one surroundings sensor situated on the host motor vehicle. The control system is used to recognize lanes, lane boundary lines, lane markings, and/or other motor vehicles in an area in front of, to the side of, and/or behind the host motor vehicle. In addition, the control system is used to determine at least one driving parameter for each other motor vehicle present in the surroundings of the host motor vehicle, based on the provided surroundings data, and to generate a plurality of possible trajectories for the future travel course for each of the other motor vehicles, based on the driving parameter determined in each case.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignee: ZF AUTOMOTIVE GERMANY GMBH
    Inventors: Christian Wissing, Manuel Schmidt, Andreas Homann, Christian Lienke, Torsten Bertram, Anne Stockem Novo, Martin Krüger, Till Nattermann, Karl-Heinz Glander
  • Patent number: 11378963
    Abstract: A method is proposed for controlling a motor vehicle (10) traveling on a roadway (12) in a current lane (14), wherein the roadway (12) has at least one additional lane (16) that is adjacent to the current lane (14) of the motor vehicle (10). The method has the following steps: At least one possible driving maneuver for the motor vehicle (10) is generated and/or received. A cost functional is determined, wherein the cost functional associates a cost factor with the at least one possible driving maneuver. At least one time-variant constraint is determined and/or received. The cost functional is extremized under the at least one time-variant constraint, and the possible driving maneuver is adapted based on the extremized cost functional, so that a target driving maneuver is obtained. In addition, a control unit (30) for a system (26) for controlling a motor vehicle (10) is proposed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: ZF AUTOMOTIVE GERMANY GMBH
    Inventors: Carlo Manna, Manuel Schmidt, Christian Wissing, Andreas Homann, Christian Lienke, Niklas Stannartz, Torsten Bertram
  • Publication number: 20220153308
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for controlling a motor vehicle (10) which is driving on a road (12) in a current lane (14), the road (12) having at least one additional lane (16). First, free regions (Bf) and/or occupied regions (Bb) of the lanes (14, 16) are determined, which occupied regions are occupied by other road users (18, 20), the free regions (Bf) and the occupied regions (Bb) being spatio-temporal regions. Changing regions, in which a lane change between the two lanes (14, 16) is possible, and/or lane-keeping regions, in which a lane change between the two lanes (14, 16) is not possible, are determined on the basis of the determined free regions (Bf) and/or occupied regions (Bb). Possible driving maneuvers of the motor vehicle (10) at least between changing regions and/or lane-keeping regions adjoining one another in pairs are then determined. A system (26) for controlling a motor vehicle (10) is also described.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2019
    Publication date: May 19, 2022
    Inventors: CARLO MANNA, CHRISTIAN WISSING, MANUEL SCHMIDT, ANDREAS HOMANN, CHRISTIAN LIENKE, TORSTEN BERTRAM
  • Patent number: 11279351
    Abstract: A method is presented for controlling a motor vehicle (10). Initially, driving maneuver data containing information concerning multiple possible, different driving maneuvers of the motor vehicle (10) are generated and/or received. Traffic data containing information concerning at least one undisturbed predicted trajectory of at least one further road user (20, 22, 24) are generated and/or received. An influence of the at least one driving maneuver on the trajectory of the at least one further road user (20, 22, 24) is determined, based on the driving maneuver data and the traffic data, and a characteristic variable is ascertained that describes the influence of the at least one driving maneuver on the at least one further road user (20, 22, 24). In addition, a system (34) for controlling a motor vehicle (10) is proposed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignee: TRW AUTOMOTIVE GMBH
    Inventors: Manuel Schmidt, Christian Wissing, Andreas Homann, Christian Lienke, Torsten Bertram, Carlo Manna, Karl-Heinz Glander
  • Publication number: 20220080961
    Abstract: A control system (10) is suitable for use in a subject motor vehicle (12) and is set up and designed to monitor a current driving situation of the subject motor vehicle and a further motor vehicle and to determine an optimum trajectory for a subsequent driving maneuver of the subject motor vehicle (12) which is to be followed by the subject motor vehicle (12), based on environment data provided to the controller of the subject motor vehicle (12). The control system is set up and designed to obtain information relating to a current driving situation of the subject motor vehicle (12) and/or at least one other motor vehicle based on the environment data provided. Furthermore, the control system (10) is set up and designed to determine a plurality of lateral positions and a plurality of longitudinal positions and/or speeds on the basis of the information relating to the current driving situation of the subject motor vehicle and/or of the other motor vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2019
    Publication date: March 17, 2022
    Inventors: Christian LIENKE, Christian WISSING, Manuel SCHMIDT, Andreas HOMANN, Torsten BERTRAM, Markus BUSS, Martin KELLER, Karl-Heinz GLANDER
  • Publication number: 20220032952
    Abstract: A control system for use in a motor vehicle and configured to monitor a current driving situation of the motor vehicle on the basis of surrounding data of the motor vehicle acquired from at least one surrounding sensor arranged on the motor vehicle in a current driving situation is disclosed. The control system is configured to determine information relating to a current driving situation of the motor vehicle on the basis of the provided surrounding data, to determine information relating to a current driving situation of the motor vehicle and to determine a component of a future driving maneuver for the motor vehicle on the basis of the information relating to the current driving situation of the motor vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2019
    Publication date: February 3, 2022
    Applicant: AZ Automotive Germany GmbH
    Inventors: Christian Lienke, Christian Wissing, Manuel Schmidt, Andreas Homann, Torsten Bertram, Till Nattermann, Martirn Keller, Karl-Heinz Glander
  • Publication number: 20220004781
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for determining a driving corridor for a motor vehicle (1). The motor vehicle (10) comprises at least one camera (22) and a control unit (24), the camera (24) being designed to generate images of a front region (30) in front of the motor vehicle (10) and to forward these images to the control unit (24). The control unit (24) comprises a machine learning module (28) having an artificial neural network. The method comprises the following steps: an image of the front region (30) in front of the motor vehicle (10) is obtained by the at least one camera (22); characteristic image features of the image are extracted by means of the artificial neural network; by means of the same artificial neural network, image points (32) which delimit the driving corridor of the motor vehicle (10) and/or at least one driving corridor adjacent to the driving corridor are determined on the basis of the extracted characteristic image features.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2019
    Publication date: January 6, 2022
    Inventors: MANUEL SCHMIDT, CHRISTIAN WISSING, ANDREAS HOMANN, CHRISTIAN LIENKE, TORSTEN BERTRAM, MARTIN KRÜGER, TILL NATTERMANN, KARL-HEINZ GLANDER
  • Publication number: 20210129863
    Abstract: A method for controlling in an automated manner a motor vehicle (10) traveling on a road (12) in a current lane (14) is suggested, wherein the road (12) has at least one further lane (16). The method comprises the following steps: At least two preliminary driving maneuvers are generated and/or received, which include a lane change from the current lane (14) to the at least one further lane (16) and a starting time of the lane change. The starting times of the at least two preliminary driving maneuvers are at different times. The at least two driving maneuvers are compared taking into account the respective starting times. One of the starting times is selected based on the comparison. Further, a control device for a system for controlling a motor vehicle is also suggested.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 3, 2020
    Publication date: May 6, 2021
    Inventors: Till Nattermann, Christian Wissing, Manuel Schmidt, Andreas Homann, Christian Lienke, Niklas Stannartz, Torsten Bertram
  • Publication number: 20210053571
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for determining a lane change for a driver assistance system (100) of a vehicle (1), which method comprises calculating (220) a probability that other vehicles (2) are driving at a higher speed in a lane (L2) which is adjacent to a current lane (L1) of the vehicle (1), applying (240) a hysteresis to the calculated probability based on a driving parameter dependent on a last lane change, and issuing (250) a command to change lanes depending on the probability. The invention further relates to a driver assistance system and a vehicle which can carry out such a method.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 17, 2020
    Publication date: February 25, 2021
    Inventors: Till Nattermann, Christian Wissing, Manuel Schmidt, Andreas Homann, Christian Lienke, Niklas Stannartz, Torsten Bertram
  • Publication number: 20210009119
    Abstract: A method for controlling a motor vehicle (10) traveling on a road (12) in a current lane (14) is presented. The road (12) has at least one further lane (16) which is adjacent to the current lane (14) of the motor vehicle (10). The method comprises the following steps: A driving maneuver graph is generated and/or received, which contains information about at least two different driving maneuvers for the motor vehicle (10). One of the at least two possible driving maneuvers is selected by means of a machine learning module (36) which applies a machine learning method to the driving maneuver graph. A control device (30) for a system (26) for the control of a motor vehicle (10) is also proposed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 7, 2020
    Publication date: January 14, 2021
    Inventors: Till Nattermann, Christian Wissing, Manuel Schmidt, Andreas Homann, Torsten Bertram, Niklas Stannartz, Christian Lienke
  • Publication number: 20200392746
    Abstract: A large manipulator includes a chassis, a mast pedestal, an articulated mast, and a control unit. The mast pedestal is rotatable around a vertical axis by means of a rotary drive and arranged on the chassis. The articulated mast includes two or more mast arms pivotally-movably connected, via articulated joints, with the respectively adjacent mast pedestal or other mast arm by a pivot drive. The control unit is configured to actuate the pivot drive and/or the rotary drive to move the articulated mast with a control sequence from an initial position of the articulated mast, autonomously, into a pre-specified target position of the articulated mast.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2017
    Publication date: December 17, 2020
    Inventors: Torsten Bertram, Christoph Rösmann, Frank Hoffmann, Freia Irina Muster, Johannes Henikl, Maximilian Krämer
  • Publication number: 20200333792
    Abstract: A method for the automated control of a motor vehicle (10) is presented. The method includes the following steps: Generating and/or receiving a reference trajectory (T*) for the motor vehicle (10); Generating at least two possible trajectories ({circumflex over (x)}i) for the motor vehicle (10); Comparing the at least two possible trajectories ({circumflex over (x)}i) with the reference trajectory (T*); and Selecting one of the at least two possible trajectories ({circumflex over (x)}i) based on the comparison of the at least two possible trajectories ({circumflex over (x)}i) with the reference trajectory (T*). A control device (24) for a system for the control of a motor vehicle (10) is also proposed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 16, 2020
    Publication date: October 22, 2020
    Inventors: Markus Buss, Martin Keller, Torsten Bertram, Christian Lienke, Christian Wissing, Andreas Homann, Manuel Schmidt, Niklas Stannartz
  • Publication number: 20200301434
    Abstract: A method is proposed for controlling a motor vehicle (10) traveling on a roadway (12) in a current lane (14), wherein the roadway (12) has at least one additional lane (16) that is adjacent to the current lane (14) of the motor vehicle (10). The method has the following steps: At least one possible driving maneuver for the motor vehicle (10) is generated and/or received. A cost functional is determined, wherein the cost functional associates a cost factor with the at least one possible driving maneuver. At least one time-variant constraint is determined and/or received. The cost functional is extremized under the at least one time-variant constraint, and the possible driving maneuver is adapted based on the extremized cost functional, so that a target driving maneuver is obtained. In addition, a control unit (30) for a system (26) for controlling a motor vehicle (10) is proposed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 18, 2020
    Publication date: September 24, 2020
    Inventors: Carlo Manna, Manuel Schmidt, Christian Wissing, Andreas Homann, Christian Lienke, Niklas Stannartz, Torsten Bertram
  • Publication number: 20200269871
    Abstract: A method for determining a driving maneuver includes obtaining vehicle parameters (P) from a driving maneuver planning module (22) of the vehicle (10). At least one possible driving maneuver (M) is determined via the driving maneuver planning module (22) based on the vehicle parameters (P) received by means of at least one decision-making submodule of the driving maneuver planning module (22), At least one possible driving maneuver (M) is transmitted to a motion planning module (24) of the vehicle (10). An evaluation variable (B) is obtained from the motion planning module (24) via the driving maneuver planning module (22). The at least one decision-making submodule is adapted based on the evaluation variable (B) obtained. Furthermore, a system for determining a driving maneuver of a vehicle, a vehicle for executing the driving maneuver, a control device for a vehicle and a computer program for executing the method are shown.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 25, 2020
    Publication date: August 27, 2020
    Inventors: Manuel Schmidt, Christian Wissing, Andreas Homann, Christian Lienke, Torsten Bertram, Carlo Manna, Karl-Heinz Glander
  • Publication number: 20200269843
    Abstract: A method for controlling a motor vehicle (10) traveling on a roadway (12) in a current lane (14) is described, wherein the roadway (12) has at least one additional lane (16) that is adjacent to the current lane (14) of the motor vehicle (10). The method has the following steps: Multiple different driving maneuvers are generated and/or received. At least two driving maneuver classes that are defined based on at least one characteristic variable of the driving maneuvers are determined, wherein the driving maneuvers of various driving maneuver classes differ by at least one characteristic variable. The driving maneuvers are classified in one of the at least two driving maneuver classes. In addition, a control unit (30) for controlling a motor vehicle (10) is described.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 21, 2020
    Publication date: August 27, 2020
    Inventors: Christian Wissing, Manuel Schmidt, Andreas Homann, Christian Lienke, Torsten Bertram, Carlo Manna, Harl-Heinz Glander