Patents by Inventor Jeff Kotowski
Jeff Kotowski 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: 10567853Abstract: Systems and methods for controlling small grids of appliances are described. One sample method includes receiving consumption data from a plurality of electrical appliances that are plugged into outlets at a first location and monitoring power usage at the first location. The method includes evaluating the received consumption data to identify one or more predetermined conditions in one or more of the plurality of electrical appliances and evaluating stored data related to power consumption preferences at the first location. The power consumption preferences define conditions when a consumer associated with the first location has agreed to enable remote control of at least one designated appliance upon an occurrence of one or more predetermined conditions. The method includes determining that the one or more conditions are satisfied and to provide a first secure communication to the first appliance to control the power consumption.Type: GrantFiled: January 26, 2018Date of Patent: February 18, 2020Assignee: Amtel CorporationInventors: Jeff Kotowski, Charles Cai
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Patent number: 10439554Abstract: Embodiments disclosed herein describe a solar panel protection and control system. The system can bypass the solar panel under hazardous conditions or under command. The system can also help a solar panel array to reach its maximum power point in operation.Type: GrantFiled: June 8, 2017Date of Patent: October 8, 2019Inventors: Jeff Kotowski, Ron Gangemi
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Publication number: 20180358924Abstract: Embodiments disclosed herein describe a solar panel protection and control system. The system can bypass the solar panel under hazardous conditions or under command. The system can also help a solar panel array to reach its maximum power point in operation.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 8, 2017Publication date: December 13, 2018Inventors: Jeff Kotowski, Charles Cai, Ron Gangemi
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Publication number: 20180152769Abstract: Systems and methods for controlling small grids of appliances are described. One sample method includes receiving consumption data from a plurality of electrical appliances that are plugged into outlets at a first location and monitoring power usage at the first location. The method includes evaluating the received consumption data to identify one or more predetermined conditions in one or more of the plurality of electrical appliances and evaluating stored data related to power consumption preferences at the first location. The power consumption preferences define conditions when a consumer associated with the first location has agreed to enable remote control of at least one designated appliance upon an occurrence of one or more predetermined conditions. The method includes determining that the one or more conditions are satisfied and to provide a first secure communication to the first appliance to control the power consumption.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 26, 2018Publication date: May 31, 2018Inventors: Jeff Kotowski, Charles Cai
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Patent number: 9883257Abstract: Systems and methods for controlling small grids of appliances are described. One sample method includes receiving consumption data from a plurality of electrical appliances that are plugged into outlets at a first location and monitoring power usage at the first location. The method includes evaluating the received consumption data to identify one or more predetermined conditions in one or more of the plurality of electrical appliances and evaluating stored data related to power consumption preferences at the first location. The power consumption preferences define conditions when a consumer associated with the first location has agreed to enable remote control of at least one designated appliance upon an occurrence of one or more predetermined conditions. The method includes determining that the one or more conditions are satisfied and to provide a first secure communication to the first appliance to control the power consumption.Type: GrantFiled: August 14, 2013Date of Patent: January 30, 2018Assignee: Atmel CorporationInventors: Jeff Kotowski, Charles Cai
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Publication number: 20170243096Abstract: Embodiments disclosed herein describe a multi-dimensional code storage and transfer system. The system gets electrical power from the flash light of a typical smart device, and displays a time-varying multi-dimensional code which can be captured and decoded by the smart device. The system can be made by printed electronics technology.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 22, 2016Publication date: August 24, 2017Inventors: Jeff Kotowski, Charles Cai
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Patent number: 9572206Abstract: A power converter is disclosed that includes an active valley fill (AVF) capacitor that is actively switched to provide current to a load during a portion of an alternating current (AC) input cycle. The current supplied to the load includes some current supplied by the AC input and some current supplied by the AVF capacitor. Circuitry is configured to regulate the amount of current flowing through the load, including controlling the amount of current supplied by the AVF capacitor. The duty cycle on the AVF capacitor can be adjusted to shape the AC input current waveform.Type: GrantFiled: May 14, 2013Date of Patent: February 14, 2017Assignee: Atmel CorporationInventor: Jeff Kotowski
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Patent number: 9501078Abstract: In a bandgap voltage reference with low package shift, a proportional to absolute temperature (PTAT) voltage is generated using a single diode biased at two different current levels at two different times. Using the same diode for both current density measurements removes the absolute value of the base-emitter junction voltage (Vbe) and any package shift in the PTAT voltage. The bandgap voltage reference can be implemented in a single or differential circuit topology. In some implementations, the bandgap voltage reference can include circuitry for curvature correction.Type: GrantFiled: April 20, 2015Date of Patent: November 22, 2016Assignee: Atmel CorporationInventors: Danut Manea, Jeff Kotowski, Scott N. Fritz, Yongliang Wang
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Patent number: 9310941Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes displaying an input tool comprising a first touch icon and a first input icon. The first touch icon may be visually separated from the first input icon by a predetermined distance. The first input icon may provide a graphical indication of an input associated with the first touch icon. The method may include determining an input based on a touch at or substantially near a location on a touch sensor associated with the first touch icon. The method may also include effecting the input as determined.Type: GrantFiled: October 4, 2011Date of Patent: April 12, 2016Assignee: Atmel CorporationInventor: Jeff Kotowski
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Publication number: 20150235552Abstract: Embodiments disclosed herein describe an AC power line instruction system which can control the operation of electrical device through the AC power line. The AC power line instruction system comprises a modulator to modulate the timing of the leading edges of the voltage of the AC power line to transmit a command signal, and a receiver to measure the timing of the leading edges of the voltage of the AC power line, to decode the command signal based on the relationship between the timing of the leading edges, and the operation of the electrical device can be controlled by the command signal decoded by the receiver.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 20, 2014Publication date: August 20, 2015Inventors: Charles Jun Cai, Jeff Kotowski
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Publication number: 20150227155Abstract: In a bandgap voltage reference with low package shift, a proportional to absolute temperature (PTAT) voltage is generated using a single diode biased at two different current levels at two different times. Using the same diode for both current density measurements removes the absolute value of the base-emitter junction voltage (Vbe) and any package shift in the PTAT voltage. The bandgap voltage reference can be implemented in a single or differential circuit topology. In some implementations, the bandgap voltage reference can include circuitry for curvature correction.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 20, 2015Publication date: August 13, 2015Inventors: Danut Manea, Jeff Kotowski, Scott N. Fritz, Yongliang Wang
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Patent number: 9072138Abstract: A color correcting device driver is configured to vary the equivalent current into light emitting elements (e.g., LEDs) with the frequency of the AC input current (e.g., 120 Hz). In implementations that include a fly-back controller with a power factor correction (PFC) controller on the primary side, the color correcting device driver performs the method of: 1) turning on the loads (e.g., white and CA strings of LEDs); 2) determining if the voltage supplied to the loads has dropped by a first threshold amount; 3) turning off the loads; and 4) determining if the voltage supplied to loads has recovered by a second threshold amount (or waiting for a fixed amount of time). The method is repeated. In implementations that do not include a PFC controller on the primary side, the color correcting device driver can create a pulse width modulated (PWM) signal.Type: GrantFiled: November 4, 2013Date of Patent: June 30, 2015Assignee: Atmel CorporationInventors: Charles Cai, Jeff Kotowski, Timothy James Herklots
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Patent number: 9013110Abstract: In one novel aspect, driving a string of light emitting elements, such as LEDs, includes applying a drive signal to circuitry that regulates a voltage appearing at a source of a transistor whose drain is coupled to one end of the string of light emitting elements and whose source is coupled to ground through a resistive element. Sequencing of the drive signal and a voltage supply signal for the light emitting elements is controlled such that the voltage supply signal is not increased above a predetermined allowable voltage for the transistor until the transistor is turned on, and such that the supply voltage is not decreased below the allowable voltage for the transistor until the transistor is turned off.Type: GrantFiled: November 30, 2011Date of Patent: April 21, 2015Assignee: Atmel CorporationInventors: Sean S. Chen, Jeff Kotowski, Timothy James Herklots
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Patent number: 9013231Abstract: In a bandgap voltage reference with low package shift, a proportional to absolute temperature (PTAT) voltage is generated using a single diode biased at two different current levels at two different times. Using the same diode for both current density measurements removes the absolute value of the base-emitter junction voltage (Vbe) and any package shift in the PTAT voltage. The bandgap voltage reference can be implemented in a single or differential circuit topology. In some implementations, the bandgap voltage reference can include circuitry for curvature correction.Type: GrantFiled: December 6, 2013Date of Patent: April 21, 2015Assignee: Atmel CorporationInventors: Danut Manea, Jeff Kotowski, Scott N. Fritz, Yongliang Wang
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Publication number: 20150048679Abstract: Systems and methods for controlling small grids of appliances are described. One sample method includes receiving consumption data from a plurality of electrical appliances that are plugged into outlets at a first location and monitoring power usage at the first location. The method includes evaluating the received consumption data to identify one or more predetermined conditions in one or more of the plurality of electrical appliances and evaluating stored data related to power consumption preferences at the first location. The power consumption preferences define conditions when a consumer associated with the first location has agreed to enable remote control of at least one designated appliance upon an occurrence of one or more predetermined conditions. The method includes determining that the one or more conditions are satisfied and to provide a first secure communication to the first appliance to control the power consumption.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 14, 2013Publication date: February 19, 2015Applicant: ATMEL CORPORATIONInventors: Jeff KOTOWSKI, Charles CAI
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Patent number: 8952623Abstract: The disclosed multi-channel driver equalizer circuit matches currents in multiple strings of illumination devices at low current levels by using an analog equalizer to sequentially couple the output of a reference amplifier in series with each current source amplifier in a current limit loop of the driver equalizer circuit to correct the offsets of the current source amplifiers, resulting in the matching of string currents on average.Type: GrantFiled: October 25, 2011Date of Patent: February 10, 2015Assignee: Atmel CorporationInventors: Sean S. Chen, Jeff Kotowski, Timothy James Herklots
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Patent number: 8912770Abstract: A power conversion circuit of two feedback loops is disclosed that includes a feedback control circuit for ramping up or down a commanded voltage to a load (e.g., LEDs). The second feedback loop feeds into the first feedback loop, and the second feedback loop operates at a slower bandwidth than the first feedback loop. When ramping up or down the commanded voltage, a voltage overshoot results because of delay in the system. The overshoot can be compensated for by a final adjustment to the commanded voltage.Type: GrantFiled: November 4, 2011Date of Patent: December 16, 2014Assignee: Atmel CorporationInventors: Charles Cai, Jeff Kotowski, Kien Vi
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Publication number: 20140340943Abstract: A power converter is disclosed that includes an active valley fill (AVF) capacitor that is actively switched to provide current to a load during a portion of an alternating current (AC) input cycle. The current supplied to the load includes some current supplied by the AC input and some current supplied by the AVF capacitor. Circuitry is configured to regulate the amount of current flowing through the load, including controlling the amount of current supplied by the AVF capacitor. The duty cycle on the AVF capacitor can be adjusted to shape the AC input current waveform.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 14, 2013Publication date: November 20, 2014Applicant: Atmel CorporationInventor: Jeff Kotowski
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Patent number: 8736190Abstract: A primary side PFC driver circuit is disclosed that includes a switch control circuit for commanding a switch to allow an inductor coupled to an output load (e.g., LEDs) to transfer energy provided by an input voltage source. The switch control circuit provides two signals for commanding the switch. A first signal having a first frequency, with a duty cycle in proportion to the input voltage amplitude, commands the switch to allow the average input current to be proportional to the input voltage amplitude. A second signal having a second frequency higher than the first frequency pulses the output load with substantially constant current pulses based on a value of the first signal (e.g., while the first signal is high). The current pulses produce a substantially constant current in the output load.Type: GrantFiled: March 22, 2012Date of Patent: May 27, 2014Assignee: ATMEL CorporationInventors: Jeff Kotowski, Charles Cai, Ranajit Ghoman
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Patent number: 8704589Abstract: A reference voltage circuit corrects for bandgap voltage shifts induced during fabrication. The reference voltage circuit generates a reference voltage using first and second base-emitter pairs. The reference voltage circuit sums the voltage across the first base-emitter pair with a difference voltage. During a first time period, the difference voltage is the voltage across the first base-emitter pair minus the voltage across the second base-emitter pair, and during a second time period, the difference voltage is the voltage across the second base-emitter pair minus the voltage across the first base-emitter pair.Type: GrantFiled: August 27, 2012Date of Patent: April 22, 2014Assignee: Atmel CorporationInventors: Jeff Kotowski, Andre Gunther