Patents by Inventor Benjamin David VOLLMER

Benjamin David VOLLMER 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: 20190191509
    Abstract: A power supply unit for an illumination device that includes a multi-mode power supply configured to supply power to an illumination device having one or more LED modules and a control circuit. The multi-mode power supply includes a primary power supply component configured to supply power to non-essential components of the illumination device, and a secondary power supply component configured to supply power to only essential components of the illumination device. The nonessential components include the one or more LED modules, and the essential components include the control circuit but not the one or more LED modules.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2019
    Publication date: June 20, 2019
    Inventors: Joseph J. Witkowski, Joseph R. Casper, Christopher D. Nolan, Benjamin David Vollmer
  • Patent number: 10251225
    Abstract: An illumination device includes a light emitting diode (LED) module and a control circuit. The control substrate comprises at least one essential circuit component and at least one non-essential circuit component. The device also includes a multi-mode power supply configured to supply power to the LED module and the control circuit. The multi-mode power supply comprises: (i) a primary power supply component configured to supply power to the at least one essential circuit component, the LED module, and the at least one non-essential circuit component; and (ii) a secondary power supply component configured to supply power to only the at least one essential circuit component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2019
    Assignee: Eaton Intelligent Power Limited
    Inventors: Joseph J. Witkowski, Joseph R. Casper, Christopher D. Nolan, Benjamin David Vollmer
  • Publication number: 20190090320
    Abstract: A lighting system includes a lighting device that further includes a housing, and light emitting diode (LED) modules positioned in an opening of the housing to emit light away from the housing. Each LED module includes a substrate, a plurality of module-level conductors, and a plurality of LED sets, each of which comprises a first section including a first group of LEDs, one or more additional sections (each including an additional group of LEDs), a first conductive element that electrically connects the first section to a first one of the module-level conductors, and one or more additional conductive elements. The lighting system also includes control circuitry configured to generate commands to control drive currents delivered to a first group of LEDs in each LED set and each additional group of LEDs in each LED set so that the lighting device emits light of a specified color temperature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 15, 2018
    Publication date: March 21, 2019
    Inventors: Christopher D. Nolan, Joseph R. Casper, Benjamin David Vollmer, George Dederich
  • Patent number: 10201057
    Abstract: A lighting device includes one or more LED modules, each of which includes a group of LED sets positioned on a substrate. Each LED set includes two or more sections, optionally under a single lens. The sections are individually controlled by a controller of the lighting device or an external controller. The beam spread, beam shape, or both of the light emitted by the device may be controlled by selectively activating the sections of each LED set.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2019
    Assignee: Cooper Lighting, LLC
    Inventors: Christopher D. Nolan, Joseph R. Casper, Benjamin David Vollmer, George Dederich
  • Publication number: 20190029091
    Abstract: A system of networked lighting devices includes a group of lighting device fixture controllers connected in a communication chain. The communication chain provides for transfer of data packets between the lighting device fixture controllers and a central controller. Each fixture controller includes a first power input that receives power from a primary power source, and a priority switch that is configured to switch the fixture controller from the primary power source to a source of DC power upon detecting failure of the primary power source. The source of DC power is sufficient to power the fixture controller and enable the fixture controller to continue to pass a stream of data to other controllers in the communication chain, but it is not sufficient to power the fixture controller's associated lighting device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2018
    Publication date: January 24, 2019
    Inventors: Daniel S. Foster, Benjamin David Vollmer, George Albert Dederich, Isaac P. Dost, Alexander Orisyuk, Christopher D. Nolan, Joseph R. Casper
  • Patent number: 10154560
    Abstract: A lighting device includes one or more LED modules, each of which includes a group of LED sets positioned on a substrate. Each LED set includes two or more sections, optionally under a single lens. Each section is configured to emit light of different luminescent properties, such as different colors or different color temperatures. The color, color temperature or other characteristics of light emitted by the device is controlled by selectively activating the sections of each LED set.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2018
    Assignee: Cooper Lighting, LLC
    Inventors: Christopher D. Nolan, Joseph R. Casper, Benjamin David Vollmer, George Dederich
  • Patent number: 10085317
    Abstract: A system of networked lighting devices includes a central controller and a group of lighting devices. The central controller includes a processor, first and second communication interfaces, various lighting devices and a communication link. The first communication interface includes input ports and a multiplexer configured to receive signals from the input ports and combine the received signals into a multiplexed signal. The second communication interface includes one or more antennas and is configured to receive the multiplexed signal from the multiplexer and transmit the multiplexed signal via the antenna(s). Each lighting device includes a fixture controller, one or more lighting modules, and a communication interface. The communication link transmits the multiplexed signal between one or more of the lighting devices and at least one of the communication interfaces of the central controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2018
    Assignee: Cooper Lighting, LLC
    Inventors: Daniel S. Foster, Joseph R. Casper, Christopher D. Nolan, Benjamin David Vollmer, Alexander Orisyuk, George Albert Dederich
  • Publication number: 20180038581
    Abstract: A lighting device includes one or more LED modules, each of which includes a group of LED sets positioned on a substrate. Each LED set includes two or more sections, optionally under a single lens. The sections are individually controlled by a controller of the lighting device or an external controller. The beam spread, beam shape, or both of the light emitted by the device may be controlled by selectively activating the sections of each LED set.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 7, 2017
    Publication date: February 8, 2018
    Inventors: Christopher D. Nolan, Joseph R. Casper, Benjamin David Vollmer, George Dederich
  • Publication number: 20180042076
    Abstract: A lighting device includes one or more LED modules, each of which includes a group of LED sets positioned on a substrate. Each LED set includes two or more sections, optionally under a single lens. Each section is configured to emit light of different luminescent properties, such as different colors or different color temperatures. The color, color temperature or other characteristics of light emitted by the device may be controlled by selectively activating the sections of each LED set.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 7, 2017
    Publication date: February 8, 2018
    Inventors: Christopher D. Nolan, Joseph R. Casper, Benjamin David Vollmer, George Dederich
  • Publication number: 20180035505
    Abstract: A system of networked lighting devices includes a central controller and a group of lighting devices. The central controller includes a processor, first and second communication interfaces, various lighting devices and a communication link. The first communication interface includes input ports and a multiplexer configured to receive signals from the input ports and combine the received signals into a multiplexed signal. The second communication interface includes one or more antennas and is configured to receive the multiplexed signal from the multiplexer and transmit the multiplexed signal via the antenna(s). Each lighting device includes a fixture controller, one or more lighting modules, and a communication interface. The communication link transmits the multiplexed signal between one or more of the lighting devices and at least one of the communication interfaces of the central controller.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2017
    Publication date: February 1, 2018
    Inventors: Daniel S. Foster, Joseph R. Casper, Christopher D. Nolan, Benjamin David Vollmer, Alexander Orisyuk, George Albert Dederich
  • Patent number: 9800431
    Abstract: A system of networked lighting devices includes a central controller and a group of lighting devices. Each lighting device may include a fixture controller, one or more lighting modules, and a communication interface. The central controller receives data packets and send them to the lighting devices via a ring topology. The lighting devices may be connected to each other via the ring topology, or a set of routers may be connected in the ring topology, with each router controlling one or more connected lighting devices. The central controller and/or the fixture controllers may each translate data packets from one protocol to a different protocol. The different protocol may be a protocol that is compatible with the local system of networked devices, and/or a protocol that is compatible with the lighting device(s) that will use the data packets to actuate according to a command from the central controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignee: Ephesus Lighting, Inc.
    Inventors: Benjamin David Vollmer, Alexander Orisyuk, Christopher D. Nolan, George Albert Dederich, Joseph R. Casper
  • Publication number: 20170264452
    Abstract: A system of networked lighting devices includes a central controller and a group of lighting devices. Each lighting device may include a fixture controller, one or more lighting modules, and a communication interface. The central controller receives data packets and send them to the lighting devices via a ring topology. The lighting devices may be connected to each other via the ring topology, or a set of routers may be connected in the ring topology, with each router controlling one or more connected lighting devices. The central controller and/or the fixture controllers may each translate data packets from one protocol to a different protocol. The different protocol may be a protocol that is compatible with the local system of networked devices, and/or a protocol that is compatible with the lighting device(s) that will use the data packets to actuate according to a command from the central controller.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 8, 2017
    Publication date: September 14, 2017
    Inventors: Benjamin David Vollmer, Alexander Orisyuk, Christopher D. Nolan, George Albert Dederich, Joseph R. Casper
  • Patent number: 9730302
    Abstract: A lighting control system includes a control card for an illumination device. The control card receives an input signal from a controller electronic device, identifies a type of the illumination device, and uses the identified type to identify an output signal protocol corresponding to the illumination device. If the input signal uses a protocol that differs from that of the output signal protocol, the control card will convert the input signal to the output signal protocol. The controller device may be programmed to enable a user to display and/or control various parameters of various lighting devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2017
    Assignee: Ephesus Lighting, Inc.
    Inventors: Benjamin David Vollmer, George Dederich, Christopher D. Nolan, Joseph R. Casper, Joseph J. Witkowski
  • Publication number: 20170188423
    Abstract: An illumination device includes a light emitting diode (LED) module and a control circuit. The control substrate comprises at least one essential circuit component and at least one non-essential circuit component. The device also includes a multi-mode power supply configured to supply power to the LED module and the control circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2016
    Publication date: June 29, 2017
    Inventors: Joseph J. WITKOWSKI, Joseph R. CASPER, Christopher D. NOLAN, Benjamin David VOLLMER
  • Publication number: 20170188438
    Abstract: A lighting control system includes a control card for an illumination device. The control card receives an input signal from a controller electronic device, identifies a type of the illumination device, and uses the identified type to identify an output signal protocol corresponding to the illumination device. If the input signal uses a protocol that differs from that of the output signal protocol, the control card will convert the input signal to the output signal protocol. The controller device may be programmed to enable a user to display and/or control various parameters of various lighting devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2016
    Publication date: June 29, 2017
    Inventors: Benjamin David VOLLMER, George DEDRICH, Christopher D. NOLAN, Joseph R. CASPER, Joseph J. WITKOWSKI