Patents by Inventor Joseph G. Elek

Joseph G. Elek 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: 8232737
    Abstract: Electronic ballasts, driver apparatus, and methods are provided in which a heating current is generated by the driver to power a resistive heating element of an insulation detector associated with a recessed can fixture using a regulated current source/sink circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Jeffrey Glenn Felty, Joseph G. Elek
  • Patent number: 8212485
    Abstract: A lighting control system is coupled to one or more ballast/drivers operating one or more light sources. A low power control module receives analog, digital and/or DALI signals from one or more sources, processes the signals to provide an appropriate lighting response and outputs one or more commands related to light output of the one or more ballast/drivers operating one or more light sources. A gateway component receives wireless signals from the low power control module to relay to one or more control components. The control components provide instruction to modify the light output of the one or more ballast/drivers operating one or more light sources based at least in part upon the one or more commands received from the low power control module and/or the gateway component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Joseph G. Elek, Edward Thomas, Tony Aboumrad
  • Patent number: 8072164
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed that facilitate switching a lamp ballast between DALI and analog control states as a function of control state information stored prior to the ballast being powered of and control information received by an interface circuit for the ballast circuit. A depolarization circuit is coupled to the interface circuit and ensures consistent polarity across a rectifier circuit regardless of the polarity of two control wires coupled to a miswiring protection circuit in the interface circuit. In this manner, a single interface circuit provides dual 0-10V analog and DALI control for dimming a lighting device regardless of whether a wall-mounted controller coupled to the interface circuit is an analog or a DALI type controller, thereby mitigating a need to switch out a ballast circuit coupled to the lighting device when changing between DALI and analog type controllers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2011
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Laszlo S. Ilyes, Bruce Roberts, Joseph G. Elek, Tony Aboumrad
  • Publication number: 20110140611
    Abstract: A lighting control system is coupled to one or more ballast/drivers operating one or more light sources. A low power control module receives analog, digital and/or DALI signals from one or more sources, processes the signals to provide an appropriate lighting response and outputs one or more commands related to light output of the one or more ballast/drivers operating one or more light sources. A gateway component receives wireless signals from the low power control module to relay to one or more control components. The control components provide instruction to modify the light output of the one or more ballast/drivers operating one or more light sources based at least in part upon the one or more commands received from the low power control module and/or the gateway component.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 10, 2009
    Publication date: June 16, 2011
    Inventors: Joseph G. Elek, Edward Thomas, Tony Aboumrad
  • Publication number: 20110140623
    Abstract: Electronic ballasts, driver apparatus, and methods are provided in which a heating current is generated by the driver to power a resistive heating element of an insulation detector associated with a recessed can fixture using a regulated current source/sink circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2009
    Publication date: June 16, 2011
    Inventors: Jeffrey Glenn Felty, Joseph G. Elek
  • Publication number: 20100102747
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed that facilitate switching a lamp ballast between DALI and analog control states as a function of control state information stored prior to the ballast being powered of and control information received by an interface circuit for the ballast circuit. A depolarization circuit is coupled to the interface circuit and ensures consistent polarity across a rectifier circuit regardless of the polarity of two control wires coupled to a miswiring protection circuit in the interface circuit. In this manner, a single interface circuit provides dual 0-10V analog and DALI control for dimming a lighting device regardless of whether a wall-mounted controller coupled to the interface circuit is an analog or a DALI type controller, thereby mitigating a need to switch out a ballast circuit coupled to the lighting device when changing between DALI and analog type controllers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 28, 2008
    Publication date: April 29, 2010
    Inventors: Laszlo S. Ilyes, Bruce Roberts, Joseph G. Elek, Tony Aboumrad