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).

  • Publication number: 20170048945
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: May 16, 2016
    Publication date: February 16, 2017
    Inventors: Wilson Dau, George Lerman, Ferdinand Schinagl, Jacqueline Teng, Allan Brent York
  • Publication number: 20170038511
    Abstract: A variety of light-emitting devices are disclosed that are configured to output light provided by a light-emitting element (LEE). In general, embodiments of the light-emitting devices feature a light-emitting element, a scattering element that is spaced apart from the light-emitting element and an extractor element coupled to the scattering element, where the extractor element includes, at least in part, a total internal reflection surface. Luminaires incorporating light-emitting devices of this type are also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 21, 2016
    Publication date: February 9, 2017
    Inventors: Hans Peter Stormberg, Robert C. Gardner, Gregory A. Magel, Ferdinand Schinagl, Roland H. Haitz
  • Patent number: 9557030
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Assignee: Quarkstar LLC
    Inventors: Allan Brent York, Ferdinand Schinagl, Wilson Dau, Louis Lerman, Hans Peter Stormberg
  • Publication number: 20170010401
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: January 26, 2015
    Publication date: January 12, 2017
    Applicant: QUARKSTAR LLC
    Inventors: Louis Lerman, Ferdinand Schinagl, Allan Brent York
  • Patent number: 9459398
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: Quarkstar LLC
    Inventor: Ferdinand Schinagl
  • Publication number: 20160282543
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: September 17, 2014
    Publication date: September 29, 2016
    Inventors: Wilson Dau, Allan Brent York, Louis Lerman, Ferdinand Schinagl, Hans Peter Stormberg
  • Publication number: 20160230956
    Abstract: The present technology relates to luminaires including light-emitting elements (LEEs), a luminaire module, and at least one optical modifier, where the optical modifier is arranged relative to the luminaire module to receive a fraction of light emitted by the LEEs.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 17, 2014
    Publication date: August 11, 2016
    Inventors: Louis Lerman, Allan Brent York, Ferdinand Schinagl, Wilson Dau, Hans Peter Stormberg
  • Patent number: 9354377
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2016
    Assignee: Quarkstar LLC
    Inventors: Allan Brent York, Louis Lerman, Ferdinand Schinagl, Wilson Dau, Hans Peter Stormberg
  • Patent number: 9345092
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignee: Quarkstar LLC
    Inventors: Wilson Dau, George Lerman, Ferdinand Schinagl, Jacqueline Teng, Allan Brent York
  • Patent number: 9291763
    Abstract: A variety of light-emitting devices are disclosed that are configured to output light provided by a light-emitting element (LEE). In general, embodiments of the light-emitting devices feature a light-emitting element, a scattering element that is spaced apart from the light-emitting element and an extractor element coupled to the scattering element, where the extractor element includes, at least in part, a total internal reflection surface. Luminaires incorporating light-emitting devices of this type are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: Quarkstar LLC
    Inventors: Hans Peter Stormberg, Robert C. Gardner, Gregory A. Magel, Ferdinand Schinagl, Roland H. Haitz
  • Publication number: 20160035949
    Abstract: A variety of light-emitting devices for general illumination utilizing solid state light sources (e.g., light-emitting diodes) are disclosed. A light-emitting device can include a first light-emitting element (LEE) for emitting light having a first spectral composition, a second LEE for emitting light having a second spectral composition, and a scattering element surrounding at least in part the first and second LEEs to scatter light emitted from the first and second LEEs. The light-emitting device can also include electrical connections for connecting the first and second LEEs to a power source, where the electrical connections are arranged such that power to the first LEE is separately adjustable relative to power to the second LEE.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2014
    Publication date: February 4, 2016
    Inventors: Hans Peter Stormberg, Roland H. Haitz, Ferdinand Schinagl
  • Publication number: 20160033109
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: September 17, 2014
    Publication date: February 4, 2016
    Applicant: Quarkstar LLC
    Inventors: Allan Brent York, Ferdinand Schinagl, Wilson Dau, Louis Lerman, Hans Peter Stormberg
  • Publication number: 20160025300
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: September 17, 2014
    Publication date: January 28, 2016
    Applicant: QUARKSTAR LLC
    Inventors: Allan Brent York, Hans Peter Stormberg, Louis Lerman, Ferdinand Schinagl, Wilson Dau
  • Publication number: 20160018065
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: March 7, 2014
    Publication date: January 21, 2016
    Inventor: Ferdinand Schinagl
  • Publication number: 20150359062
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: April 13, 2015
    Publication date: December 10, 2015
    Inventors: Wilson Dau, George Lerman, Ferdinand Schinagl, Jacqueline Teng, Allan Brent York
  • Publication number: 20150301260
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: September 17, 2014
    Publication date: October 22, 2015
    Applicant: Quarkstar LLC
    Inventors: Allan Brent York, Louis Lerman, Ferdinand Schinagl, Wilson Dau, Hans Peter Stormberg
  • Publication number: 20150247633
    Abstract: Devices used for workspace illumination include, for example, a panel and a solid-state based optical system arranged inside an enclosure of the panel. The panel can be a cubicle divider. In one aspect, an illumination device includes a mount; a panel including a first face and a second opposing face. The panel is vertically supported by the mount along a horizontal dimension of the first and second faces. Further, the panel forms an enclosure between the first and the second face. Additionally, the illumination device includes a first luminaire module arranged in the enclosure and configured to output light in a first output angular range. The light output in the first output angular range has a prevalent propagation direction with a vertical component towards a first target area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 12, 2013
    Publication date: September 3, 2015
    Inventors: Wilson Dau, Ingo Speier, Ferdinand Schinagl, Edgar R. Velasquez
  • Publication number: 20150219820
    Abstract: A variety of light-emitting devices are disclosed that are configured to output light provided by a light-emitting element (LEE). In general, embodiments of the light-emitting devices feature a light-emitting element, a scattering element that is spaced apart from the light-emitting element and an extractor element coupled to the scattering element, where the extractor element includes, at least in part, a total internal reflection surface. Luminaires incorporating light-emitting devices of this type are also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 12, 2013
    Publication date: August 6, 2015
    Inventors: Hans Peter Stormberg, Robert C. Gardner, Gregory A. Magel, Ferdinand Schinagl, Roland H. Haitz
  • Publication number: 20150168626
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: July 18, 2014
    Publication date: June 18, 2015
    Applicant: Quarkstar LLC
    Inventor: Ferdinand Schinagl
  • Patent number: 9006998
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Quarkstar LLC
    Inventors: Wilson Dau, George Lerman, Ferdinand Schinagl, Jacqueline Teng, Allan Brent York