Patents by Inventor Werner Amann

Werner Amann 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: 9816842
    Abstract: Embodiments described herein include an optoelectronic position measuring device that may include a code carrier, which carries an optically detectable position code, a radiation source for emitting optical radiation onto the code carrier, and a detection element having a multiplicity of light-sensitive reception regions for receiving at least part of the optical radiation, as a result of which a scanning signal dependent on the position code can be generated and a position of the code carrier relative to the detection element can thus be detected, wherein the measurement components are arranged in a fixed spatial relationship with respect to one another on a carrier element, the code carrier is movable with one degree of freedom, in particular rotationally or along an axis, and the code carrier and the carrier element are arranged at a fixed spatial distance with respect to one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2017
    Assignee: HEXAGON TECHNOLOGY CENTER GMBH
    Inventors: Urs Vokinger, Werner Amann
  • Patent number: 9638550
    Abstract: System for determining relative positions comprising an encoder having encoder elements, and a sensor unit having a first sensor and at least one second sensor. The sensor unit and the encoder are movable relative to one another and their position relative to one another is determinable by the system. The first sensor and second sensor have a sensor distance with respect to one another. The sensor furthermore has a component composed of a dimensionally stable and aging-resistant material having a coefficient of thermal expansion which, in terms of absolute value, is in a range of 0 to 5·10?6K?1. The sensor distance is determinable highly precisely by the component by virtue of the component serving for the positional fixing of the sensors or by virtue of the component having a scale with the aid of which the sensor distance can be measured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: HEXAGON TECHNOLOGY CENTER GMBH
    Inventors: Urs Vokinger, Heinz Lippuner, Werner Amann, Knut Siercks
  • Patent number: 9506753
    Abstract: The invention relates to a tilt sensor for a device, comprising a tank receiving a flowable medium, wherein the position of the medium relative to the tank depends on the tilt, and the tank comprises a polygonal, in particular triangular, or an elliptical, in particular circular base, a source of electromagnetic radiation for generating projections of at least one part of a boundary of the medium, at least two detectors for detecting one of the projections, respectively, and for converting same into signals, wherein the detectors each comprise a detecting direction and the detecting directions of the detectors are disposed at angles to each other, and further comprising an analysis unit for determining the tilt in two axes from the signals of the at least two detectors, wherein the tilt is determined jointly for the two axes from a combination of the signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2016
    Assignee: HEXAGON TECHNOLOGY CENTER GMBH
    Inventors: Heinz Lippuner, Bernhard Metzler, Werner Amann
  • Publication number: 20150233738
    Abstract: System for determining relative positions comprising an encoder having encoder elements, and a sensor unit having a first sensor and at least one second sensor. The sensor unit and the encoder are movable relative to one another and their position relative to one another is determinable by the system. The first sensor and second sensor have a sensor distance with respect to one another. The sensor furthermore has a component composed of a dimensionally stable and aging-resistant material having a coefficient of thermal expansion which, in terms of absolute value, is in a range of 0 to 5·10?6 K?1. The sensor distance is determinable highly precisely by the component by virtue of the component serving for the positional fixing of the sensors or by virtue of the component having a scale with the aid of which the sensor distance can be measured.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 18, 2015
    Publication date: August 20, 2015
    Inventors: Urs VOKINGER, Heinz LIPPUNER, Werner AMANN, Knut SIERCKS
  • Publication number: 20150014520
    Abstract: Embodiments described herein include an optoelectronic position measuring device that may include a code carrier, which carries an optically detectable position code, a radiation source for emitting optical radiation onto the code carrier, and a detection element having a multiplicity of light-sensitive reception regions for receiving at least part of the optical radiation, as a result of which a scanning signal dependent on the position code can be generated and a position of the code carrier relative to the detection element can thus be detected, wherein the measurement components are arranged in a fixed spatial relationship with respect to one another on a carrier element, the code carrier is movable with one degree of freedom, in particular rotationally or along an axis, and the code carrier and the carrier element are arranged at a fixed spatial distance with respect to one another.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 6, 2013
    Publication date: January 15, 2015
    Inventors: Urs Vokinger, Werner Amann
  • Publication number: 20140198207
    Abstract: The invention relates to a tilt sensor for a device, comprising a tank receiving a flowable medium, wherein the position of the medium relative to the tank depends on the tilt, and the tank comprises a polygonal, in particular triangular, or an elliptical, in particular circular base, a source of electromagnetic radiation for generating projections of at least one part of a boundary of the medium, at least two detectors for detecting one of the projections, respectively, and for converting same into signals, wherein the detectors each comprise a detecting direction and the detecting directions of the detectors are disposed at angles to each other, and further comprising an analysis unit for determining the tilt in two axes from the signals of the at least two detectors, wherein the tilt is determined jointly for the two axes from a combination of the signals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 22, 2011
    Publication date: July 17, 2014
    Applicant: LEICA GEOSYSTEMS AG
    Inventors: Heinz Lippuner, Bernhard Metzler, Werner Amann
  • Patent number: 8488132
    Abstract: Optoelectronic position measurement device comprises a code carrier, a radiation source and a detection unit. The code carrier can be moved relative to said sensor unit by one degree of freedom. A refractive optical element having a focusing segment and at least one neighboring segment are arranged between the code carrier and the first sensor unit. Optical radiation shining in on the focusing segment parallel or at an angle of incidence below a threshold angle ? to the optical axis of the focusing segment can be guided by the focusing segment on the receiving region of the first sensor unit within the optical axis, and radiation that is shining into a deflection angle region above the threshold angle ? to the optical axis of the focusing segment can be deflected by the focusing segment and the neighboring segment to a point outside of the optical axis of the focusing segment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2013
    Assignee: Leica Geosystems AG
    Inventor: Werner Amann
  • Patent number: 8085394
    Abstract: The invention relates to an optoelectronic measurement method for determining a position, particularly an angle or a length, of a code carrier (10) that carries a position code (11) and is movable relative to a detector element (30) with a degree of freedom, particularly in a rotary or translational fashion. The detector element (30) has at least one line in the longitudinal direction comprising a plurality of light-sensitive receiving regions (31) disposed in a linear fashion. In the course of the positional measurement method, a projection is produced of part of the position code (11) on the detector element (30) that is dependent on the position of the code carrier (10); said projection is produced by at least an emission of optical radiation onto the code carrier (10) using a laser diode (20) having an emitter edge (21), and said projection is detected by the detector element (30). The position of the code carrier (10) relative to the detector element (30) is derived from the projection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2011
    Assignee: Leica Geosystems AG
    Inventors: Urs Vokinger, Heinz Bernhard, Werner Amann
  • Publication number: 20110242548
    Abstract: Optoelectronic position measurement device comprises a code carrier, a radiation source and a detection unit. The code carrier can be moved relative to said sensor unit by one degree of freedom. A refractive optical element having a focusing segment and at least one neighboring segment are arranged between the code carrier and the first sensor unit. Optical radiation shining in on the focusing segment parallel or at an angle of incidence below a threshold angle ? to the optical axis of the focusing segment can be guided by the focusing segment on the receiving region of the first sensor unit within the optical axis, and radiation that is shining into a deflection angle region above the threshold angle ? to the optical axis of the focusing segment can be deflected by the focusing segment and the neighboring segment to a point outside of the optical axis of the focusing segment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 20, 2009
    Publication date: October 6, 2011
    Applicant: LEICA GEOSYSTEMS AG
    Inventor: Werner Amann
  • Publication number: 20100134790
    Abstract: The invention relates to an optoelectronic measurement method for determining a position, particularly an angle or a length, of a code carrier (10) that carries a position code (11) and is movable relative to a detector element (30) with a degree of freedom, particularly in a rotary or translational fashion. The detector element (30) has at least one line in the longitudinal direction comprising a plurality of light-sensitive receiving regions (31) disposed in a linear fashion. In the course of the positional measurement method, a projection is produced of part of the position code (11) on the detector element (30) that is dependent on the position of the code carrier (10); said projection is produced by at least an emission of optical radiation onto the code carrier (10) using a laser diode (20) having an emitter edge (21), and said projection is detected by the detector element (30). The position of the code carrier (10) relative to the detector element (30) is derived from the projection.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 21, 2008
    Publication date: June 3, 2010
    Applicant: LEICA GEOSYSTEMS AG
    Inventors: Urs Vokinger, Heinz Bernhard, Werner Amann