Patents by Inventor Axel Pilz

Axel Pilz 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: 11665803
    Abstract: A method for assigning light sensors for regulating a lighting system includes switching the lighting of the lighting system into a first switching state such that a first lighting group emits light with a predetermined luminous flux, switching the lighting of the lighting system into a second switching state such that the first lighting group emits light with a reduced luminous flux by comparison with the predetermined luminous flux or emits no light, and measuring a luminance of the light reflected by a reference surface respectively assigned to the light sensors with the aid of the light sensors to determine a first measurement value in the first switching state and a second measurement value in the second switching state. The method may further include assigning a sensor to the first lighting group based on a comparison of difference values formed for each of the light sensors, and storing the assignment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: OSRAM GmbH
    Inventor: Axel Pilz
  • Publication number: 20210392732
    Abstract: A method for assigning light sensors for regulating a lighting system includes switching the lighting of the lighting system into a first switching state such that a first lighting group emits light with a predetermined luminous flux, switching the lighting of the lighting system into a second switching state such that the first lighting group emits light with a reduced luminous flux by comparison with the predetermined luminous flux or emits no light, and measuring a luminance of the light reflected by a reference surface respectively assigned to the light sensors with the aid of the light sensors to determine a first measurement value in the first switching state and a second measurement value in the second switching state. The method may further include assigning a sensor to the first lighting group based on a comparison of difference values formed for each of the light sensors, and storing the assignment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2019
    Publication date: December 16, 2021
    Inventor: Axel PILZ
  • Patent number: 10327301
    Abstract: In various embodiments, a circuit arrangement for operating light sources is provided. The circuit arrangement includes an input for inputting an input voltage, an output for outputting an output current, a first interface for controlling the circuit arrangement, and a second interface. The circuit arrangement is configured to set two different operating modes: in a first operating mode the circuit arrangement is configured to be controlled via the first interface and to receive information concerning the output current via the second interface and to correspondingly set the output current at the output, and in a second operating mode the circuit arrangement is configured to be controlled and to receive the information about the output current to be set at the output via the first interface, and to receive information from a sensor via the second interface and to process said information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2019
    Assignee: OSRAM GMBH
    Inventors: Axel Pilz, Markus Heckmann
  • Publication number: 20180184496
    Abstract: In various embodiments, a circuit arrangement for operating light sources is provided. The circuit arrangement includes an input for inputting an input voltage, an output for outputting an output current, a first interface for controlling the circuit arrangement, and a second interface. The circuit arrangement is configured to set two different operating modes: in a first operating mode the circuit arrangement is configured to be controlled via the first interface and to receive information concerning the output current via the second interface and to correspondingly set the output current at the output, and in a second operating mode the circuit arrangement is configured to be controlled and to receive the information about the output current to be set at the output via the first interface, and to receive information from a sensor via the second interface and to process said information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2017
    Publication date: June 28, 2018
    Inventors: Axel Pilz, Markus Heckmann
  • Patent number: 8378529
    Abstract: A switching actuator for controlling the energy supply to at least one electrical consumer (102) with an energy supply input (142), an energy supply output (144), a signal line input (146), a signal line output (148) and an evaluation unit (154), the evaluation unit (154) being adapted to activate or deactivate the energy supply output (144) on the basis of signals input via the signal line input (146).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2013
    Assignee: OSRAM Gesellschaft mit beschrankter Haftung
    Inventors: Michael Hani, Holger Kraus, Axel Pilz
  • Publication number: 20110210673
    Abstract: A sensor element (101) comprising a light sensor (102), wherein the light sensor (102) is configured for receiving a control signal and wherein the light sensor (102) is a brightness sensor for a lighting system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 29, 2008
    Publication date: September 1, 2011
    Inventor: Axel Pilz
  • Publication number: 20100102753
    Abstract: A circuit arrangement for dimming control of one or more operating devices (3) for luminous means (4), the operating device (3) being controlled in the single pushbutton operation by one pushbutton (T1) which conducts line voltage (L) via a control line (5) to a control terminal (1) of the operating device (3), and switching and dimming functions of the operating device (3) can be executed by this pushbutton (T1), wherein a second pushbutton (T2) is connected to the control line (5) via a diode (D1), and the control device (3) is then controlled in a two pushbutton operation by two pushbuttons.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2007
    Publication date: April 29, 2010
    Inventor: Axel Pilz
  • Patent number: 7528556
    Abstract: A light regulation device includes at least one light sensor which provides at its output a real brightness value, at least one regulator to which a set brightness value can be supplied, besides the real value, and a number n of output connections, n being greater than or equal to two. Each output connection is coupled to the output of a regulator in order to modify the light flux which can be supplied to at least one of the lighting elements. The regulator is designed to determine a difference between set and real values, to verify whether this difference lies within or outside a predeterminable tolerance range, and, in the event that the difference lies outside the tolerance range, to modify accordingly the light flux from the lighting elements which can be connected to the n output connections. At least one limit of the tolerance range depends on the actual light flux value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2009
    Assignee: Patent-Treuhand-Gesellschaft fur Elektrisch Gluhlampen mbH
    Inventors: Wolfgang Langgaβner, Axel Pilz
  • Patent number: 7259528
    Abstract: A data converter for a lighting system, has a data input for the data converter to communicate with a central control device of the lighting system, a data output for the data converter to communicate with lamp operating elements, and an evaluation unit for evaluating the data received from the central control device and for controlling and monitoring the functions of the lamp operating elements. The data converter permits an enlargement of the number of the lamp operating elements, in the lighting system, that can be monitored by the central control device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2007
    Inventor: Axel Pilz
  • Patent number: 7193371
    Abstract: The invention relates to an operating method and an electronic ballast (EVG) for operating a light-producing apparatus (L), for example a discharge lamp. In this case, an internal timing unit in the ballast (EVG) is corrected with the aid of time information (TM) received in external signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2007
    Assignee: Patent-Treuhand-Gesellschaft fur Elektrisch Gluhlampen mbH
    Inventors: Andreas Huber, Wolfgang Langgabner, Shokrollah Norali-Ghasemi, Axel Pilz
  • Publication number: 20050174067
    Abstract: The invention relates to an operating method and an electronic ballast (EVG) for operating a light-producing apparatus (L), for example a discharge lamp. In this case, an internal timing unit in the ballast (EVG) is corrected with the aid of time information (TM) received in external signals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 1, 2005
    Publication date: August 11, 2005
    Applicant: PATENT-TREUHAND-GESELLSCHAFT FUR ELECTRISCHE GLUHLAMPEN MBH
    Inventors: Andreas Huber, Wolfgang Langgassner, Shokrollah Norali-Ghasemi, Axel Pilz
  • Publication number: 20050067982
    Abstract: A data converter for a lighting system, has a data input for the data converter to communicate with a central control device of the lighting system, a data output for the data converter to communicate with lamp operating elements, and an evaluation unit for evaluating the data received from the central control device and for controlling and monitoring the functions of the lamp operating elements. The data converter permits an enlargement of the number of the lamp operating elements, in the lighting system, that can be monitored by the central control device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2004
    Publication date: March 31, 2005
    Applicant: PATENT-TREUHAND-GESELLSCHAFT FUR ELEKTRISCHE GLUHLAMPEN MBH
    Inventor: Axel Pilz
  • Patent number: 6777892
    Abstract: The invention relates to a device (C, C′) for controlling operating means (3, 3′) for at least one electric illuminating means (4, 4′). The inventive device comprises an input (8a, 8b, 8a′, 8b′) for receiving control signals from an external control device (7) and an evaluating means (9, 9′) that is suitable to detect analogous and digital control signals on the input (8a, 8b, 8a′, 8b′) for control signals and to evaluate said signals for controlling operating means (3, 3′) for the illuminating means (4, 4′). The invention also relates to a method for controlling the operating means (3, 3′) for electric illuminating means (4, 4′) by means of analogous or digital control signals. In an advantageous embodiment, the inventive device (C, C′) is a component of an operating device (B, B′) for electric illuminating means (4, 4′).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2004
    Assignee: Patent-Treuhand-Gesellschaft fur Elektrische Gluhlampen mbH
    Inventors: Andreas Huber, Axel Pilz
  • Patent number: 6567487
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for the sampling of biphase coded digital signals by reception means which have at least one signal input having switchable signal edge sensitivity or at least two signal inputs having different signal edge sensitivity for the reception of such signals. The signals to be received are sampled precisely once per data bit, namely during the transmission of the first half-bit. The signal edges (F1-F5) of each bit are utilized for synchronizing the signal input with the control signal and for detecting transmission errors. Each signal sampling (S1-S5) is followed by a time window (&Dgr;t) within which the reception of the signal edge of the present bit is expected and evaluated as permissible. The signal edge sensitivity of the at least one signal input is set as a function of the sampled logic level of the first half-bit of the respectively transmitted bit of the signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2003
    Assignee: Patent-Treuhand-Gesellschaft fuer Elektrische Gluehlampen mbH
    Inventor: Axel Pilz
  • Publication number: 20030030384
    Abstract: The invention relates to a device (C, C′) for controlling operating means (3, 3′) for at least one electric illuminating means (4, 4′). The inventive device comprises an input (8a, 8b, 8a′, 8b′) for receiving control signals from an external control device (7) and an evaluating means (9, 9′) that is suitable to detect analogous and digital control signals on the input (8a, 8b, 8a′, 8b′) for control signals and to evaluate said signals for controlling operating means (3, 3′) for the illuminating means (4, 4′). The invention also relates to a method for controlling the operating means (3, 3′) for electric illuminating means (4, 4′) by means of analogous or digital control signals. In an advantageous embodiment, the inventive device (C, C′) is a component of an operating device (B, B′) for electric illuminating means (4, 4′).
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 9, 2002
    Publication date: February 13, 2003
    Inventors: Andreas Huber, Axel Pilz
  • Patent number: 6486617
    Abstract: The invention relates to a device for controlling light sources (30-35) having a ballast (20-23) includes a set point generator for prescribing a brightness set point for the light sources (30-35), and having means for generating a control signal, dependent on the set point of the set point generator, for the purpose of brightness control of the light sources (30-35). According to the invention, the device has means for adapting the control signal to different types of light sources. The device according to the invention renders possible uniform dimming of different types of light sources which are installed in a lighting system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2002
    Assignee: Patent-Treuhand-Gesellschaft fuer Elektrische Gluehlampen mbH
    Inventors: Axel Pilz, Andreas Huber
  • Patent number: 6404143
    Abstract: The invention relates to a starting-up method for a lighting system, which has a plurality of luminaries (L1; L2; L3; L4; L5; L6) which are fitted with lamps (LP1; LP2; LP3; LP4; LP5; LP6; LP7; LP8) and electric equipment for operating these lamps, a control device (St) for actuating the electrical equipment (B1; B2; B3; B4; B5; B6) and control elements (S) for controlling and programming the control device (St). During the starting-up phase of the lighting system, system initialization is carried out, during which each electrical equipment item (B1; B2; B3; B4; B5; B6) is assigned an individual appliance address, which ensures that the equipment (B1; B2; B3; B4; B5; B6) and the luminary (L1; L2; L3; L4; L5; L6) are identified by the control device (St).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2002
    Assignee: Patent-Treuhand-Gesellschaft fuer Elektrische Gluehlampen mbH
    Inventors: Axel Pilz, Andreas Huber
  • Publication number: 20010022501
    Abstract: The invention relates to a device for controlling light sources (30-35) having a ballast (20-23), it being possible to connect the device to a set point generator for prescribing a brightness set point for the light sources (30-35), and having means for generating a control signal, dependent on the set point of the set point generator, for the purpose of brightness control of the light sources (30-35). According to the invention, the device has means for adapting the control signal to different types of light sources. The device according to the invention renders possible uniform dimming of different types of light sources which are installed in a lighting system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 6, 2001
    Publication date: September 20, 2001
    Applicant: Patent-Treuhand-Gesellschaft fuer elektrische Gluehlampen mbH
    Inventors: Axel Pilz, Andreas Huber