Patents by Inventor Ulrich Backes
Ulrich Backes 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).
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Patent number: 11255782Abstract: An electro-optical assembly, in particular a sensor assembly for detecting ambient light, includes a reflection surface, a lens body and an electro-optical component, in particular a light receiver. The component includes a depression having a main lens section, in particular a diverging lens section with a concave interior wall, and a converging lens section with a convex interior wall. The interior wall of the converging lens section is formed in such a way that the rays of the ray path which travel through the converging lens section to the electro-optical component hit the reflection surface in such way that the angle of incidence at the reflection surface is larger or the same as the critical angle of the total internal reflection at the reflection surface. In another aspect a method for detecting ambient light is described.Type: GrantFiled: January 18, 2018Date of Patent: February 22, 2022Assignee: BCS AUTOMOTIVE INTERFACE SOLUTIONS GMBHInventor: Ulrich Backes
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Patent number: 11199440Abstract: A lens plate (10) for a rain and/or light sensor is proposed. The lens plate (10) has a base body (18), at least one light limitation structure (21), and at least one lens structure (28), the light limitation structure (21) extending into the base body (18) from a lower side (14) of the lens plate (10), a contour (27) of the light limitation structure (21) facing away from the lower side (14) of the lens plate (10) limiting the lens structure (28) circumferentially, and the contour (27) being substantially triangular. Furthermore, a rain and/or light sensor (8) is proposed.Type: GrantFiled: September 26, 2018Date of Patent: December 14, 2021Assignee: BCS AUTOMOTIVE INTERFACE SOLUTIONS GMBHInventor: Ulrich Backes
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Patent number: 11131581Abstract: An optical assembly for an optical sensor device has a lens plate, a light source, and a light receiving unit. The lens plate includes a lens structure on a side associated with the light source and a light extraction structure on a side facing away from the light source. The lens structure has different local radii of curvature.Type: GrantFiled: August 8, 2019Date of Patent: September 28, 2021Assignee: BCS Automotive Interface Solutions GmbHInventors: Laura Horan, Ulrich Backes
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Publication number: 20200249081Abstract: A lens plate (10) for a rain and/or light sensor is proposed. The lens plate (10) has a base body (18), at least one light limitation structure (21), and at least one lens structure (28), the light limitation structure (21) extending into the base body (18) from a lower side (14) of the lens plate (10), a contour (27) of the light limitation structure (21) facing away from the lower side (14) of the lens plate (10) limiting the lens structure (28) circumferentially, and the contour (27) being substantially triangular. Furthermore, a rain and/or light sensor (8) is proposed.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 26, 2018Publication date: August 6, 2020Inventor: ULRICH BACKES
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Publication number: 20200049551Abstract: An optical assembly for an optical sensor device has a lens plate, a light source, and a light receiving unit. The lens plate includes a lens structure on a side associated with the light source and a light extraction structure on a side facing away from the light source. The lens structure has different local radii of curvature.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 8, 2019Publication date: February 13, 2020Inventors: Laura Horan, Ulrich Backes
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Publication number: 20200001773Abstract: In a method of manufacturing an optical assembly for a light sensor, in particular for a rain sensor for a motor vehicle, which comprises a lens plate and a shadow mask attached to the lens plate, a bundle of light beams is first generated. The bundle of light beams is focused on a partial area of a shadow mask blank attached to the lens plate, and a through opening is burned into the shadow mask blank by means of the bundle of light beams.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 26, 2019Publication date: January 2, 2020Inventor: ULRICH BACKES
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Publication number: 20190353591Abstract: An electro-optical assembly, in particular a sensor assembly for detecting ambient light, includes a reflection surface, a lens body and an electro-optical component, in particular a light receiver. The component includes a depression having a main lens section, in particular a diverging lens section with a concave interior wall, and a converging lens section with a convex interior wall. The interior wall of the converging lens section is formed in such a way that the rays of the ray path which travel through the converging lens section to the electro-optical component hit the reflection surface in such way that the angle of incidence at the reflection surface is larger or the same as the critical angle of the total internal reflection at the reflection surface. In another aspect a method for detecting ambient light is described.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 18, 2018Publication date: November 21, 2019Inventor: ULRICH BACKES
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Patent number: 10234588Abstract: A proximity sensor (12) is provided which comprises a magnet (16) and a sensor (18). The sensor (18) is aligned relative to the magnet (16) in such a manner that the direction (E) of maximum sensitivity of the sensor (18) is formed so as to be substantially parallel to the magnet axis (M) extending through the poles (20, 22) of the magnet (16). Further, an assembly unit (10) is provided.Type: GrantFiled: March 31, 2014Date of Patent: March 19, 2019Assignee: TRW AUTOMOTIVE ELECTRONICS & COMPONENTS GmbHInventor: Ulrich Backes
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Patent number: 10207680Abstract: In a lens plate (18) for an optical sensor device in a vehicle, in particular for a rain sensor, with a transmitter-side lens structure (26) and a receiver-side lens structure (32), the transmitter-side lens structure (26) partially is provided with anti-transmission features which in individual regions of the lens plate (18) partially or completely prevent the passage of the light emitted by a light transmitter (14).Type: GrantFiled: March 17, 2015Date of Patent: February 19, 2019Assignee: TRW AUTOMOTIVE ELECTRONICS & COMPONENTS GmbHInventor: Ulrich Backes
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Patent number: 10088126Abstract: A symbol display element for a vehicle interior is proposed, which comprises a front cover formed by a diffusing lens. A shadow mask is arranged in the optical path between the diffusing lens and a plurality of point light sources which can be activated separately, and includes for each point light source an associated symbol which is projected in an enlarged manner onto the rear side of the diffusing lens upon activation of the corresponding point light source. With this easily realizable configuration of the display element, the different symbols share a common display surface on the diffusing lens which acts as a rear projection screen.Type: GrantFiled: June 8, 2011Date of Patent: October 2, 2018Assignee: TRW Automotive Electronics & Components GmbHInventors: Ulrich Backes, Harald Koehnlein
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Publication number: 20180239064Abstract: A lens component of an optical rain sensor (10) has an emitter lens (16) configured as a Fresnel lens and a receiver lens (18) configured as a Fresnel lens, each of which, in a top view, has a rectangular contour with first edges and second edges extending at right angles thereto, the center (MS) of the emitter lens (16) and/or the center (ME) of the receiver lens (18) being arranged off-center with respect to the side length of at least one of the edges, and the emitter lens (16) and the receiver lens (18) being arranged side by side. The lens component (12) is manufactured in a negative molding process in which first and second mold inserts are arranged side by side, each of which having a Fresnel lens mold, the first and second mold inserts each being selectively arranged in a manner rotated through 0° or through 180°, and the mold inserts arranged in this way forming a negative mold for the emitter lens (16) and the receiver lens (18) of the lens component (12) during the negative molding process.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 7, 2016Publication date: August 23, 2018Inventor: Ulrich Backes
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Patent number: 10018661Abstract: A capacitive sensor (20) includes a capacitive sensor field (2), the capacitive sensor field (2) having a plurality of discrete electrodes (4) which are coupled to discrete leads (8). The leads (8) of a first electrode (41) are guided such that they are capacitively coupled with at least one second electrode (42). A first signal (Cm1) is detected at a first lead (8) which is coupled with the first electrode (41), and a second signal (Cm2) is detected at a second lead (8) which is coupled with a second electrode (42). The capacity (Cf1, Cf2) of the first electrode (41) or of the second electrode (42) is determined using a predetermined calculation formula which takes the first signal (Cm1), the second signal (Cm2) and the capacitive coupling between the second electrode (4) and the first lead (8) coupled with the first electrode (41) into account.Type: GrantFiled: April 2, 2013Date of Patent: July 10, 2018Assignee: TRW AUTOMOTIVE ELECTRONICS & COMPONENTS GmbHInventor: Ulrich Backes
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Patent number: 9950659Abstract: In a method of controlling an interior lighting (25) in a vehicle (18), having a plurality of separately drivable lamps (26a-26g), provision is made that a motion light pattern, in particular a wave light pattern, is generated as a function of vehicle operating data by separately driving the individual lamps (26a-26g), all of the lamps (26a-28g) being driven with an identical or similar light pattern, and the lamps (26a-26g) being driven with the light pattern offset in time. The time offset with which the lamps (26a-26g) are driven is dependent on the driving speed of the vehicle.Type: GrantFiled: July 5, 2013Date of Patent: April 24, 2018Assignee: TRW Automotive Electronics & Components GmbHInventor: Ulrich Backes
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Patent number: 9758093Abstract: In a method of controlling an interior lighting (25) in a vehicle (18), having a plurality of separately drivable lamps (26a-26g), provision is made that a motion light pattern, in particular a wave light pattern, is generated as a function of vehicle operating data by separately driving the individual lamps (26a-26g), the vehicle operating data including ambient data picked up by means of a light sensor.Type: GrantFiled: July 5, 2013Date of Patent: September 12, 2017Assignee: TRW Automotive Electronics & Components GmbHInventor: Ulrich Backes
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Patent number: 9733762Abstract: An optical display and control element comprises an at least partially transparent display screen, at least one light source for illuminating a rear side of the display screen, and at least one light sensor for detecting a temporal signal of the light scattered on the display screen. The light source is able to produce a time-variable light pattern while illuminating the rear side of the display screen. A control and processing unit is able to evaluate the temporal signal, detected by the light sensor, in combination with the time-variable light pattern and to determine a position of at least one object located on the display screen from this evaluation. The invention further relates to a method of optically determining the position of an object which is located on an at least partially transparent display screen of an optical display and control element.Type: GrantFiled: May 15, 2012Date of Patent: August 15, 2017Assignee: TRW Automotive Electronics & Components GmbHInventor: Ulrich Backes
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Patent number: 9714867Abstract: There is provided a radiation detection means (10) which includes a carrier (12) with at least one pivotable portion (16), a receiving unit (18), a drive (24) and an evaluation and control unit. The receiving unit (18) is arranged on the pivotable portion (16) which together with the receiving unit (18) is pivotable about at least one axis relative to the carrier (12). The evaluation and control unit is connected with the drive (24) and the receiving unit (18) and the drive (24) is associated to the pivotable portion (16).Type: GrantFiled: November 29, 2013Date of Patent: July 25, 2017Assignee: TRW Automotive Electronics & Components GmbHInventor: Ulrich Backes
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Publication number: 20170182978Abstract: In a lens plate (18) for an optical sensor device in a vehicle, in particular for a rain sensor, with a transmitter-side lens structure (28) and a receiver-side lens structure (32), the transmitter-side lens structure (26) partially is provided with anti-transmission features which In individual regions of the lens plate (18) partially or completely prevent the passage of the light emitted by a light transmitter (14).Type: ApplicationFiled: March 17, 2015Publication date: June 29, 2017Applicant: TRW AUTOMOTIVE ELECTRONICS & COMPONENTS GMBHInventor: Ulrich Backes
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Patent number: 9692285Abstract: An electrodynamic actuator (10), has a flat coil (24) formed by tracks (22, 23) on a face of a circuit board (16) and a permanent magnet (14) the magnetic field of which passes through turns of the flat coil (24).Type: GrantFiled: September 15, 2011Date of Patent: June 27, 2017Assignee: TRW Automotive Electronics & Components GmbHInventor: Ulrich Backes
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Patent number: 9546900Abstract: An optical sensor device for the detection of ambient light is adapted to be coupled to a pane (10), in particular to a windshield of a vehicle. The optical sensor device has a sensor unit which includes at least one light receiver (22) for ambient light and a lens plate (12) for directionally coupling an ambient light beam (26) out of the pane (10) onto the light receiver (22). The lens plate (12) has a surface (18) facing the light receiver (22) and oriented substantially parallel to the pane (10) in the coupled condition of the optical sensor device. The surface (18) includes a prism structure (20) having a plurality of single prisms (24) which are designed to direct the rays of a specific ambient light beam (26) defined by a principal direction (A) and an aperture angle onto the light receiver (22).Type: GrantFiled: November 15, 2010Date of Patent: January 17, 2017Assignee: TRW Automotive Electronics & Components GmbHInventor: Ulrich Backes
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Patent number: 9513738Abstract: An input device (10) has a contact plate (12) having a contact surface (14) and being least partially coated with an electrical resistive layer (16) on a surface opposite the contact surface (14). The electrical resistive layer (16) has at least two electrically conducting contacts (18). A measuring circuit (20) is provided for measuring a sensing capacitor (24) formed by the electrical resistive layer (16) and an electrostatically chargeable object (22) arranged at a contact position on the contact surface (14). Further, a processing unit is provided for determining coordinates (X, Y) of the contact position of the electrostatically chargeable object (22) on the contact surface (14) by means of a determination of the ohmic resistances (Rn) between the contact position of the electrostatically chargeable object (22) and the electrically conducting contacts.Type: GrantFiled: April 17, 2012Date of Patent: December 6, 2016Assignee: TRW Automotive Electronics & Components GmbHInventor: Ulrich Backes