Ic-haus Gmbh

Daimler Chrysler Ag

Schott Ag

Temic Telefunken Microelectronic Gmbh

Manfred Herz

Hans Spies

Gunter Fendt

G&uuml;nter Fendt

Wolfgang Peter

Ralf Burkard

J&ouml;rg Flerlage

Jani Skedelj

Alvaro Pineda Garcia

Frank Irmer

Norbert M&uuml;ller

Christian Küller

Christian Wachter

Hartmut Scherner

Peter Fischer

Bernhard Krack

The present invention relates to an optoelectronic sensor for 5 demodulating a modulated photon flux (), and to a measuring device, in particular for 3D distance measurement, having at least one optoelectronic sensor of this type. The optoelectronic sensor has at least two collecting zonesintroduced in a semiconductor region (), which collecting zones are for example diffused into the semiconductor region and doped inversely with respect to the semiconductor region (). The collecting zones serve for collecting and tapping off minority carriers generated upon penetration of a modulated photon flux (). Furthermore, at least two control zones are introduced in the semiconductor region (), which control zones generate a drift field in a manner dependent on a control voltage that can be applied to the control zones, the control zones being of the same doping type as the semiconductor region ().

Optoelectronic sensor and device for 3D distance measurement

There is provided a circuit arrangement for switching a current on and off without overcurrent. The circuit arrangement includes a current source, a load associated with the current source, a switching transistor for switching the current source on and off, where the switching transistor has a parasitic capacitance between a control electrode and a first output electrode, and a shorting device between the control electrode and the first output electrode of the switching transistor for switching off the current source. The current can be used, for example, to drive a laser diode.

Circuit arrangement for switching a current of and off without the occurrence of overcurrent

There is provided an apparatus for generating an input signal for a cable that is mismatched on an output side. The apparatus has a line driver for connecting to an input of the cable via a resistor. The line driver includes a controller that, depending on a data input signal, is for triggering (a) a first switch to apply a supply voltage at an input of the resistor, (b) a second switch to apply a reference potential at the input of the resistor, and (c) a third switch to apply an auxiliary voltage at the input of the cable, all of them at predeterminable points in time, in order to minimize power dissipation in the resistor.

Device for preparing an input signal for a line which is mismatched on the output side

The invention relates an electronic switch for switching on and off high AC voltage between two connecting terminals. The switch includes two series-connected MOS floating gate transistors ( ), that can block and establish the transmission path between the applied high AC voltage connecting terminals. A charge storage device ( ) stores charges and is connected to each gate of the MOS transistors. Each charge storage device ( ) is assigned a charge feeding device ( ) for applying a predetermined quantity of charge to the charge storage device ( ), which corresponds to a first switching state, and for removing a predetermined quantity of charge from the charge storage device, which corresponds to a second switching state. In this way, very low energy sensor outputs control high power AC voltage applied to the connecting terminals. This switch has utility in the automotive and other industries.

Electronic AC voltage switch

The invention is based on the object of making available a control and data transmission system which uses simple components to permit current-modulated data transmission via a serial bus, and whose components can be used in a flexible way. For this purpose, the control and data transmission system ( ) has a controllable bus terminating device ( ) for impressing a predetermined working current into the bus ( ). Each subscriber ( ) has a D.C.-coupled transmitter ( ) for generating and emitting control signals and data signals which modulate the working current, and a D.C.-coupled receiver ( ) for sensing and evaluating the working current which is modulated by the control signals and data signals.

Control and data transmission system

The invention relates to a method for operating an occupant safety device and a control unit for performing the method. To limit the power supplied to a triggering means from a storage element, the electrical power supplied after operating each triggering means is measured and after a definable power limiting value has been reached the power supplied to the triggering means is interrupted. The known methods based on the voltage at the storage element being the measure of the power supplied prove to be highly prone to error because these depend firstly on the charged state of the storage element and secondly very much on the conductor resistance so that incorrect control action can result. By integrating a variable that is proportional to the square of the current flowing through the triggering means to an integral value and comparing this rather than the voltage with the power limiting value, a simple way of simply and accurately determining the supply of power in the triggering circuit of occupant safety devices is possible irrespective of the conductor resistance.

Method for operating an occupant safety device and control unit

Process and circuit layout for using an independent capacitor for the momentary retention of an output voltage when an input voltage is lost. To facilitate a reduction in capacitance in independent circuits of this type at a constant amount of charge, the input voltage is transformed by a DC/DC up converter to a higher capacitor voltage, which is stored in the independent capacitor and the capacitor voltage is transformed by a DC/DC down converter to the output voltage for the load element, which is less than the capacitor voltage. As the DC/DC down converter can utilize capacitor voltages until the output voltage is reached, the residual voltage remaining in the independent capacitor (C) is no longer used. The independent time interval is correspondingly short. According to the invention, the capacitor is disconnected from the output of the DC/DC up-converter and connected to its input when the input voltage is less than a reference voltage. In the situation while the capacitor voltage is connected to the input of the DC/DC up converter, this converter can step-up the capacitor voltage, which drops during the independent time interval, and retain a virtually constant voltage at the output, which the DC/DC down converter then transforms to the output voltage. The independent capacitor can discharge more deeply and the independent time interval can be perceptibly extended. The process and circuit layout are particularly suitable for supplying electronic assemblies in vehicles, as these start from a relatively low input voltage, which is particularly advantageous for the use of DC/DC converters.

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Mainz, Germany

Manfred Herz