Patents by Inventor Torsten Klemm

Torsten Klemm 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).

  • Publication number: 20120169258
    Abstract: A circuit for displaying the state of a battery that is almost discharged features a battery, an inductive load, and a controllable switch connected in series. The circuit also includes a display element connected in series with the inductive load and the battery. The controllable switch is opened when a voltage of the battery is lower than a first threshold level and is only closed again when the voltage of the battery is greater than a second threshold level. The circuit may also include a control circuit having a comparator which compares the voltage of the battery with the first threshold level and the second threshold level and triggers the controllable switch accordingly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2012
    Publication date: July 5, 2012
    Inventors: Torsten Klemm, Gerrit Rönneberg
  • Patent number: 8148947
    Abstract: A circuit for displaying the state of a battery that is almost discharged features a battery, an inductive load, and a controllable switch connected in series. The circuit also includes a display element connected in series with the inductive load and the battery. The controllable switch is opened when a voltage of the battery is lower than a first threshold level and is only closed again when the voltage of the battery is greater than a second threshold level. The circuit may also include a control circuit having a comparator which compares the voltage of the battery with the first threshold level and the second threshold level and triggers the controllable switch accordingly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2012
    Assignee: Braun GmbH
    Inventors: Torsten Klemm, Gerrit Rönneberg
  • Publication number: 20120068634
    Abstract: An electrical appliance with a resonant motor for driving a vibratory component is provided that has a control unit for driving the resonant motor with a predetermined driving frequency and for measuring the motion-induced voltage of the resonant motor and for determining whether the measured voltage value coincides with a predetermined target voltage value or whether the measured voltage value has crossed over the predetermined target value. The control unit measures the motion-induced voltage at a predetermined time of measurement (tm) within a driving cycle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 19, 2011
    Publication date: March 22, 2012
    Inventors: Torsten Klemm, Ingo Vetter, Uwe Jungnickel
  • Publication number: 20120066848
    Abstract: A resonant motor unit that has a resonant motor, a control unit, a measurement unit, and an evaluation unit is described. The control unit drives the resonant motor at a driving frequency, short-circuits the resonant motor during at least a first short-circuiting phase in successive driving cycles and concludes the first short-circuiting phases by switching off the current flow through the resonant motor at least at a predetermined first time instant within the driving cycles. The measurement unit successively measures at least a first voltage signal provided by the resonant motor at the predetermined first time instant, and the evaluation unit for determines whether the first voltage signal has changed between successive measurements.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 19, 2011
    Publication date: March 22, 2012
    Inventors: Torsten Klemm, Ingo Vetter, Uwe Jungnickel, Benedikt Heil, Kris Lueckel
  • Patent number: 8138705
    Abstract: A circuit arrangement for controlling an electrical load is provided with a bridge circuit which comprises four electronic switches with the load arranged in a transverse leg of the bridge circuit. A control circuit has respective control terminals for the four electronic switches. The control terminal for the first electronic switch is connected to the control terminal for the fourth electronic switch by means of a series connection consisting of a first capacitor and a first resistance, and the control terminal for the third electronic switch is connected to the control terminal for the second electronic switch by means of a series connection consisting of a second capacitor and a second resistance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2012
    Assignee: Braun GmbH
    Inventors: Torsten Klemm, Ingo Vetter
  • Publication number: 20120024323
    Abstract: A method for determining a pattern of use of an electric toothbrush is disclosed. The method includes the steps of providing an electric toothbrush including a drive shaft for coupling to a brush part; an electric motor and a drive for providing a first motion of the drive shaft; measuring a characteristic parameter of the electric motor; detecting a distinctive change of the characteristic parameter; and evaluating the distinctive change.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2011
    Publication date: February 2, 2012
    Applicant: Braun GmbH
    Inventors: Torsten Klemm, Matthias Schiebahn, Frank Stefan Skopp, Leo Faranda
  • Publication number: 20110080122
    Abstract: A small electric appliance is described which comprises an oscillation-capable mechanism (4), an electric motor (1) to drive the oscillation-capable mechanism (4), wherein the electric motor (1) can be operated with a drive current (10) at a predetermined frequency (f), and a device (3) for adjusting the frequency (f) of the drive current of the electric motor (1). Furthermore, a method for adjusting the frequency (f) of a drive current (10) of an electric motor is described comprising the following steps of detecting, at a specified time (tmeas), in relation to the period of the drive current, an electric variable (20) generated by the electric motor (1) determining, at the specified measuring time (tmeas), whether the detected electric variable (20) essentially has a zero-crossing and changing the frequency (f) of the drive current until the detected electric variable (20) essentially has a zero-crossing at the measuring time (tmeas).
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 12, 2010
    Publication date: April 7, 2011
    Inventors: Torsten KLEMM, Ingo VETTER, Uwe JUNGNICKEL
  • Publication number: 20110012567
    Abstract: A circuit arrangement that has an energy source that can provide a charging voltage for charging an electrical energy storage unit in a charging circuit when it is connected to an energy supply, wherein it is possible to represent the charging voltage using an alternating quantity, and that has a capacitor circuit having a first capacitor element, a first valve element, and the energy source, wherein the first capacitor element is charged by the energy source via the first valve element if the charging voltage is negative, so that, if the charging voltage is positive, the voltage over the first capacitor element has the same orientation in the capacitor circuit, in terms of sign, as the charging voltage, and the voltage over the capacitor element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2010
    Publication date: January 20, 2011
    Inventors: Leo Faranda, Frank Stefan Skopp, Torsten Klemm
  • Publication number: 20090179614
    Abstract: An electronic circuit for a battery-operated electric appliance, can be inductively fed by an external electric power source. The circuit comprises a charging circuit for charging an accumulator (A), which encompasses a charging coil (L2) for generating an alternating current and a rectifier diode (D2), wherein the accumulator (A) is connected in series to the rectifier diode (D2) and the charging coil (L2). The circuit furthermore comprises a light emitting diode (LED) as display for the charging process and/or charging status of the accumulator (A) and a control circuit (uC) for controlling the light emitting diode (LED) and the charging process of the accumulator (A), wherein an end of the charging coil (L2) is connected to the cathode of the diode (D2) and to the anode of the light emitting diode (LED).
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 1, 2006
    Publication date: July 16, 2009
    Inventors: Torsten Klemm, Joachim Lepper, Matthias Schiebahn
  • Publication number: 20090179606
    Abstract: The invention relates to a circuit arrangement for controlling an electrical consumer (M), said arrangement being provided with a bridge circuit which comprises four electronic switches (V1, V2, V3, V4) and the consumer (M) which is arranged in the transversal leg of the bridge circuit, and a control circuit (uC) comprising control terminals for the four electronic switches. The control terminal for the first electronic switch (V1) is connected to the control terminal for the fourth electronic switch (V4) by means of a series connection consisting of a first capacitor (C1) and a first resistance (R1), and the control terminal for the third electronic switch (V3) is connected to the control terminal for the second electronic switch (V2) by means of a series connection consisting of a second capacitor (C2) and a second resistance (R2).
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 20, 2007
    Publication date: July 16, 2009
    Inventors: Torsten Klemm, Ingo Vetter
  • Publication number: 20080315841
    Abstract: A circuit for displaying the state of a battery that is almost discharged features a battery, an inductive load, and a controllable switch connected in series. The circuit also includes a display element connected in series with the inductive load and the battery. The controllable switch is opened when a voltage of the battery is lower than a first threshold level and is only closed again when the voltage of the battery is greater than a second threshold level. The circuit may also include a control circuit having a comparator which compares the voltage of the battery with the first threshold level and the second threshold level and triggers the controllable switch accordingly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 9, 2006
    Publication date: December 25, 2008
    Inventors: Torsten Klemm, Gerrit Ronneberg
  • Patent number: 7180254
    Abstract: A method of controlling an oscillating electric motor of a small electric appliance, the method including supplying an electric current to a coil to produce a magnetic field emanating from a first motor component and setting a second motor component in an oscillatory motion relative to the first motor component; determining at least one electrical characteristic of the coil for an instant of time at which current is supplied to the coil, the at least one electrical characteristic being related to a motion quantity of the first motor component relative to the second motor component; and then supplying further current to the coil as a function of the at least one electrical characteristic determined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2007
    Assignee: Braun GmbH
    Inventors: Torsten Klemm, Bernhard Kraus, Uwe Schaaf
  • Publication number: 20050146296
    Abstract: A method of controlling an oscillating electric motor of a small electric appliance, the method including supplying an electric current to a coil to produce a magnetic field emanating from a first motor component and setting a second motor component in an oscillatory motion relative to the first motor component; determining at least one electrical characteristic of the coil for an instant of time at which current is supplied to the coil, the at least one electrical characteristic being related to a motion quantity of the first motor component relative to the second motor component; and then supplying further current to the coil as a function of the at least one electrical characteristic determined.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 29, 2004
    Publication date: July 7, 2005
    Inventors: Torsten Klemm, Bernhard Kraus, Uwe Schaaf
  • Publication number: 20040041573
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method and a circuit for measuring a voltage and a temperature and for generating a voltage with adjustable temperature dependence.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 12, 2003
    Publication date: March 4, 2004
    Inventors: Torsten Klemm, Gunther Bergk
  • Publication number: 20020154045
    Abstract: The invention is directed to a method for adapting decision levels in the conversion of a multi-level analog signal into a digital signal, and to a digital receiver. As starting condition a certain level difference between two levels and also a first logic state, which the analog signal represents at the beginning of the data transmission, are predetermined. A second logic state is recognized in that the level of the analog signal varies by more than the level difference. A decision level is then calculated continually which lies between the levels of the first and second logic state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 12, 2002
    Publication date: October 24, 2002
    Inventor: Torsten Klemm