Patents by Inventor Ferdinand Schinagl
Ferdinand Schinagl 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: 10795071Abstract: A solid-state luminaire module includes one or more light-emitting elements (LEEs) arranged to provide light; and a light guide including a receiving end arranged to receive the light provided by the LEEs and an opposing end, a pair of opposing side surfaces extending along a length of the light guide to guide the received light in a forward direction to the opposing end, and a redirecting end-face located at the opposing end and configured to reflect the guided light—that reaches the opposing end—back into the light guide as return light, such that substantially all the return light impinges on the pair of opposing side surfaces at incident angles larger than a critical incidence angle and transmits through the pair of opposing side surfaces into the ambient as output light of the luminaire module, the output light to propagate in backward directions.Type: GrantFiled: December 18, 2018Date of Patent: October 6, 2020Assignee: Quarkstar LLCInventors: Louis Lerman, Ferdinand Schinagl, Allan Brent York
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Patent number: 10774999Abstract: A variety of illumination devices for general illumination utilizing solid state light sources (e.g., light-emitting diodes) are disclosed. In general, an illumination device can include multiple light sources that are disposed on a substrate, where at least some of the light sources include a light-emitting diode (LED) and a corresponding inelastic scattering element surrounding, at least in part, the LED. The inelastic scattering elements can have different light emission spectra. The illumination device can further include a light-mixing element adapted to receive light that is output by the light sources, where, during operation of the illumination device, each inelastic scattering element inelastically scatters light emitted from its corresponding LED, and the light-mixing element mixes the light received from the inelastic scattering elements to provide the output light.Type: GrantFiled: March 4, 2019Date of Patent: September 15, 2020Assignee: Quarkstar LLCInventor: Ferdinand Schinagl
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Patent number: 10725229Abstract: An illumination device includes a plurality of light-emitting elements (LEEs); a light guide extending in a forward direction from a first end to a second end to receive at the first end light emitted by the LEEs and to guide the received light to the second end; an optical extractor optically coupled to the second end to receive the guided light, the optical extractor including a redirecting surface to reflect a first portion of the guided light, the reflected light being output by the optical extractor in a backward angular range, and the redirecting surface having one or more transmissive portions to transmit a second portion of the guided light in the forward direction; and one or more optical elements optically coupled to the transmissive portions, the optical elements to modify the light transmitted through the transmissive portions and to output the modified light in a forward angular range.Type: GrantFiled: October 8, 2018Date of Patent: July 28, 2020Assignee: Quarkstar LLCInventors: Allan Brent York, Hans Peter Stormberg, Louis Lerman, Ferdinand Schinagl, Wilson Dau
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Patent number: 10705284Abstract: The present technology relates to luminaires including a housing and a luminaire module disposed within the housing, where the housing has apertures through which light that is output by the luminaire module exits the luminaire towards one or more target areas.Type: GrantFiled: May 25, 2018Date of Patent: July 7, 2020Assignee: Quarkstar LLCInventors: Wilson Dau, Allan Brent York, Louis Lerman, Ferdinand Schinagl, Hans Peter Stormberg
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Publication number: 20200103580Abstract: An illumination device includes a light source configured to emit, during operation, light with a prevalent direction of propagation different from a direction of an optical axis of the illumination device; and an optical coupler including a transparent material, the optical coupler having an input aperture, an exit aperture and a first side surface and a second side surface arranged between the input aperture and the exit aperture, the exit aperture being centered on the optical axis of the illumination device. The optical coupler receives the emitted light through the input aperture from the light source. Further, the first side surface and the second side surface redirect the received light via total internal reflection (TIR) to the exit aperture. Additionally, the redirected light is issued through the exit aperture.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 9, 2019Publication date: April 2, 2020Inventor: Ferdinand Schinagl
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Patent number: 10546983Abstract: A lighting device includes (1) one or more solid-state lighting (SSL) devices, (2) a thick, for example prism- or cylinder- or spherical- or dome-shaped scattering element, and (3) an optical extractor with a convex output surface.Type: GrantFiled: November 25, 2015Date of Patent: January 28, 2020Assignee: Quarkstar LLCInventors: Roland H. Haitz, Ferdinand Schinagl
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Patent number: 10548197Abstract: In a single lighting device including a large number of light-emitting elements (LEEs), the LEEs are divided into separately powered groups, and different combinations of the groups are fully energized to achieve the desired overall brightness. In some embodiments, the number of LEEs in each group has a binary relationship to the other groups. The resolution of the dimming is the brightness of the smallest group. In one example of five binary weighted groups of LEEs, 32 brightness levels can be achieved while the LEEs in the energized groups are fully ON. Thus, since there is no high frequency switching, there is substantially no power dissipation by the dimming control system, and there is limited noise or EMI created. The dimming control can be easily implemented with a logic circuit controlling a transistor switch for each group.Type: GrantFiled: March 5, 2018Date of Patent: January 28, 2020Assignee: Quarkstar LLCInventors: Wilson Dau, George Lerman, Ferdinand Schinagl, Jacqueline Teng, Allan Brent York
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Publication number: 20190377121Abstract: A solid-state luminaire module includes one or more light-emitting elements (LEEs) arranged to provide light; and a light guide including a receiving end arranged to receive the light provided by the LEEs and an opposing end, a pair of opposing side surfaces extending along a length of the light guide to guide the received light in a forward direction to the opposing end, and a redirecting end-face located at the opposing end and configured to reflect the guided light—that reaches the opposing end—back into the light guide as return light, such that substantially all the return light impinges on the pair of opposing side surfaces at incident angles larger than a critical incidence angle and transmits through the pair of opposing side surfaces into the ambient as output light of the luminaire module, the output light to propagate in backward directions.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 18, 2018Publication date: December 12, 2019Inventors: Louis Lerman, Ferdinand Schinagl, Allan Brent York
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Patent number: 10495807Abstract: An illumination device includes light-emitting elements (LEEs); a light guide extending in a forward direction from a first end to a second end, the light guide being positioned to receive at the first end light emitted by the LEEs and to guide the received light to the second end; and an optical extractor coupled to the second end to receive the guided light. The optical extractor is formed from a transparent, solid material and includes a first output surface including a transmissive portion arranged and shaped to transmit a first portion of the guided light to the ambient in a forward angular range and a reflective portion arranged and shaped to reflect via TIR all the guided light incident on the reflective portion; and a second output surface arranged to transmit, to the ambient in a backward angular range, light reflected by the reflective portion of the first output surface.Type: GrantFiled: February 12, 2018Date of Patent: December 3, 2019Assignee: Quarkstar LLCInventors: Allan Brent York, Ferdinand Schinagl, Wilson Dau, Louis Lerman, Hans Peter Stormberg
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Publication number: 20190360644Abstract: A variety of illumination devices for general illumination utilizing solid state light sources (e.g., light-emitting diodes) are disclosed. In general, an illumination device can include multiple light sources that are disposed on a substrate, where at least some of the light sources include a light-emitting diode (LED) and a corresponding inelastic scattering element surrounding, at least in part, the LED. The inelastic scattering elements can have different light emission spectra. The illumination device can further include a light-mixing element adapted to receive light that is output by the light sources, where, during operation of the illumination device, each inelastic scattering element inelastically scatters light emitted from its corresponding LED, and the light-mixing element mixes the light received from the inelastic scattering elements to provide the output light.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 4, 2019Publication date: November 28, 2019Inventor: Ferdinand Schinagl
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Publication number: 20190353327Abstract: A variety of light-emitting devices are disclosed that are configured to output light provided by a light source. In general, embodiments of the light-emitting devices feature a light source and an extractor element coupled to the light source, where the extractor element includes, at least in part, a total internal reflection (TIR) surface. Luminaires incorporating light-emitting devices of this type are also disclosed.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 10, 2018Publication date: November 21, 2019Inventors: Ingo Speier, Hans Peter Stormberg, Robert C. Gardner, Gregory A. Magel, Ferdinand Schinagl, Roland H. Haitz
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Publication number: 20190317268Abstract: An illumination device includes a plurality of light-emitting elements (LEEs); a light guide extending in a forward direction from a first end to a second end to receive at the first end light emitted by the LEEs and to guide the received light to the second end; an optical extractor optically coupled to the second end to receive the guided light, the optical extractor including a redirecting surface to reflect a first portion of the guided light, the reflected light being output by the optical extractor in a backward angular range, and the redirecting surface having one or more transmissive portions to transmit a second portion of the guided light in the forward direction; and one or more optical elements optically coupled to the transmissive portions, the optical elements to modify the light transmitted through the transmissive portions and to output the modified light in a forward angular range.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 8, 2018Publication date: October 17, 2019Inventors: Allan Brent York, Hans Peter Stormberg, Louis Lerman, Ferdinand Schinagl, Wilson Dau
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Patent number: 10386039Abstract: A luminaire assembly includes a substrate; light emitting elements (LEEs) secured to the substrate; optical couplers arranged along the substrate, each optical coupler being positioned to receive light emitting from a corresponding one of the LEEs and to direct the light in a forward direction orthogonal to the substrate; a redirecting surface spaced apart from the couplers along the forward direction to reflect the light from the optical couplers to an ambient environment in a backward angular range; a housing comprising a support structure and a layer of a heat conducting material disposed on the support structure, where a thermal conductivity of the layer of heat conducting material is greater than a thermal conductivity of a material forming the support structure; and a heat coupling layer arranged between the substrate and the housing, the heat coupling layer being adjacent to the heat conducting material of the housing.Type: GrantFiled: May 28, 2015Date of Patent: August 20, 2019Assignee: Quarkstar LLCInventors: Charles R. McCreary, Jr., Ferdinand Schinagl
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Publication number: 20190162379Abstract: A vehicle light includes a lighting unit (300) with multiple light-emitting elements (LEEs) (310), one or more couplers (320A,320B,320C), a light guide (300A,300B,300C) and an extractor (340A,340B,340C). The lighting unit has a curved elongate extension. Each of the couplers has an input aperture coupled with one or more of the LEEs and an exit aperture coupled with a first edge of the light guide and is configured to couple light from the LEEs into the light guide. The light guide is configured to propagate light via total internal reflection to a second edge of the light guide. The extractor has an input aperture coupled with the second edge of the light guide and an exit aperture configured to emit light into an ambient environment.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 25, 2017Publication date: May 30, 2019Inventors: Hans Peter Stormberg, Victor E. Isbrucker, Ferdinand Schinagl
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Patent number: 10288798Abstract: An illumination device includes a light source configured to emit, during operation, light with a prevalent direction of propagation different from a direction of an optical axis of the illumination device; and an optical coupler including a transparent material, the optical coupler having an input aperture, an exit aperture and a first side surface and a second side surface arranged between the input aperture and the exit aperture, the exit aperture being centered on the optical axis of the illumination device. The optical coupler receives the emitted light through the input aperture from the light source. Further, the first side surface and the second side surface redirect the received light via total internal reflection (TIR) to the exit aperture. Additionally, the redirected light is issued through the exit aperture.Type: GrantFiled: September 30, 2016Date of Patent: May 14, 2019Assignee: Quarkstar LLCInventor: Ferdinand Schinagl
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Publication number: 20190124854Abstract: A plant growth lighting system (500) includes a plant support (503) and a light guide luminaire module (501), the plant support being configured to hold one or more plants (502). The light guide luminaire module includes at least one light-emitting element (LEE) (510), a light guide (511) arranged to receive light emitted by the at least one LEE at a first end of the light guide and guide the received light in a forward direction to a second end thereof, and an extractor (512) arranged to receive light from the second end of the light guide and configured to output light. The light guide luminaire module is disposed relative to the plant support such that at least a portion of the light output by the extractor impinges on the plants in predetermined directions.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 21, 2017Publication date: May 2, 2019Inventors: Allan Brent York, Louis Lerman, Hans Peter Stormberg, Ferdinand Schinagl
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Publication number: 20190129087Abstract: The present technology relates to luminaires including a housing and a luminaire module disposed within the housing, where the housing has apertures through which light that is output by the luminaire module exits the luminaire towards one or more target areas.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 25, 2018Publication date: May 2, 2019Inventors: Wilson Dau, Allan Brent York, Louis Lerman, Ferdinand Schinagl, Hans Peter Stormberg
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Patent number: 10222008Abstract: A variety of illumination devices for general illumination utilizing solid state light sources (e.g., light-emitting diodes) are disclosed. In general, an illumination device can include multiple light sources that are disposed on a substrate, where at least some of the light sources include a light-emitting diode (LED) and a corresponding inelastic scattering element surrounding, at least in part, the LED. The inelastic scattering elements can have different light emission spectra. The illumination device can further include a light-mixing element adapted to receive light that is output by the light sources, where, during operation of the illumination device, each inelastic scattering element inelastically scatters light emitted from its corresponding LED, and the light-mixing element mixes the light received from the inelastic scattering elements to provide the output light.Type: GrantFiled: June 16, 2017Date of Patent: March 5, 2019Assignee: Quarkstar LLCInventor: Ferdinand Schinagl
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Publication number: 20190053344Abstract: In a single lighting device including a large number of light-emitting elements (LEEs), the LEEs are divided into separately powered groups, and different combinations of the groups are fully energized to achieve the desired overall brightness. In some embodiments, the number of LEEs in each group has a binary relationship to the other groups. The resolution of the dimming is the brightness of the smallest group. In one example of five binary weighted groups of LEEs, 32 brightness levels can be achieved while the LEEs in the energized groups are fully ON. Thus, since there is no high frequency switching, there is substantially no power dissipation by the dimming control system, and there is limited noise or EMI created. The dimming control can be easily implemented with a logic circuit controlling a transistor switch for each group.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 5, 2018Publication date: February 14, 2019Inventors: Wilson Dau, George Lerman, Ferdinand Schinagl, Jacqueline Teng, Allan Brent York
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Patent number: 10203446Abstract: An illumination device includes a light-emitting element (LEEs); a light guide extending in a forward direction from a first end to a second end to receive at the first end LEE light and to guide the light to the second end, such that divergence of the light received at the first end and divergence of the guided light that reaches the second end are substantially the same; a light divergence modifier optically coupled to the light guide at the second end to receive the guided light, to modify the divergence of the guided light, such that the light provided by the light divergence modifier has a modified divergence different from the divergence of the guided light; and an optical extractor optically coupled to the light divergence modifier, to output into the ambient environment light provided by the light divergence modifier as output light in one or more output angular ranges.Type: GrantFiled: May 26, 2016Date of Patent: February 12, 2019Assignee: Quarkstar LLCInventors: Allan Brent York, Louis Lerman, Ferdinand Schinagl, Wilson Dau, Hans Peter Stormberg