Patents by Inventor Nicholas A. Hoerter

Nicholas A. Hoerter 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).

  • Closed-loop load control circuit having a wide output range
    Patent number: 8466628
    Abstract: A load control circuit, such as a light-emitting diode (LED) driver, for controlling the amount of power delivered to an electrical load, such as an LED light source, comprises a regulation transistor adapted to be coupled in series with the load, and a feedback circuit coupled in series with the regulation transistor, whereby the load control circuit is able to control the magnitude of a load current conducted through the load from a minimum load current to a maximum load current, which is at least approximately one thousand times larger than the minimum load current. The feedback circuit generates at least one load current feedback signal representative of the magnitude of the load current. The regulation transistor operates in the linear region to control the magnitude of the load current conducted through the load in response to the magnitude of the load current determined from the load current feedback signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2013
    Assignee: Lutron Electronics Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas M. Shearer, Matthew W. Nuhfer, Venkatesh Chitta, Kartik Iyer, Nicholas A. Hoerter, Mark S. Taipale
  • CLOSED-LOOP LOAD CONTROL CIRCUIT HAVING A WIDE OUTPUT RANGE
    Publication number: 20110080112
    Abstract: A load control circuit, such as a light-emitting diode (LED) driver, for controlling the amount of power delivered to an electrical load, such as an LED light source, comprises a regulation transistor adapted to be coupled in series with the load, and a feedback circuit coupled in series with the regulation transistor, whereby the load control circuit is able to control the magnitude of a load current conducted through the load from a minimum load current to a maximum load current, which is at least approximately one thousand times larger than the minimum load current. The feedback circuit generates at least one load current feedback signal representative of the magnitude of the load current. The regulation transistor operates in the linear region to control the magnitude of the load current conducted through the load in response to the magnitude of the load current determined from the load current feedback signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 11, 2010
    Publication date: April 7, 2011
    Applicant: LUTRON ELECTRONICS CO., INC.
    Inventors: Thomas M. Shearer, Matthew W. Nuhfer, Venkatesh Chitta, Kartik Iyer, Nicholas A. Hoerter, Mark S. Taipale