Patents by Inventor Nicola Bettina Pfeffer

Nicola Bettina Pfeffer 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: 20230261034
    Abstract: A semiconductor light-emitting device has an emitter matrix with an arrangement of emitter cells interspersed with non-emitter cells. The emitter cell has a semiconductor emitter, and a non-emitter cell does not have a semiconductor emitter. A number of bond pads for connection to a power supply and a plurality of wirebonds are present. Each wirebond extends from a bond pad to the semiconductor emitter of an emitter cell. An imaging arrangement includes a light source for illuminating a scene. The light source has a pair of such semiconductor light-emitting devices. A method of manufacturing such a semiconductor light-emitting device is also described.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 1, 2023
    Publication date: August 17, 2023
    Inventors: Nicola Bettina Pfeffer, Arjen Gerben Van der Sijde, Pieter Johannes Quintus van Voorst Vader
  • Publication number: 20230258316
    Abstract: An adaptive lighting system comprises an array of independently controllable LEDs, and a metalens positioned to collimate, focus, or otherwise redirect light emitted by the array of LEDs. The adaptive lighting system may optionally include a pre-collimator positioned in the optical path between the array of LEDs and the metalens.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 13, 2023
    Publication date: August 17, 2023
    Applicant: Lumileds LLC
    Inventors: Venkata Ananth TAMMA, Toni LOPEZ, Nicola Bettina PFEFFER, Marcel Rene BOHMER
  • Publication number: 20230254563
    Abstract: An imaging system can automatically measure a distance to an object. A camera, having a field of view that includes the object, can define a camera longitudinal axis that extends to a center of the field of view. An illuminator, defining an illuminator longitudinal axis that is substantially parallel to the camera longitudinal axis and is laterally offset from the camera longitudinal axis, can illuminate the object with an illumination field. The illumination field can have an illumination field central axis that is angularly offset from the illuminator longitudinal axis by an angle that depends at least in part on the measured distance to the object to at least partially compensate for parallax error caused by the lateral offset between the illuminator longitudinal axis and the camera longitudinal axis. The camera can capture an image of the object while the illuminator illuminates the object with the illumination field.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2023
    Publication date: August 10, 2023
    Inventors: Pieter Johannes Quintus van Voorst Vader, Arjen Gerben Van der Sijde, Nicola Bettina Pfeffer
  • Publication number: 20230204198
    Abstract: A LED lighting module is described that is realized as a printed circuit assembly. The LED lighting module has a carrier with a strip of dielectric material and conductive circuit tracks printed on the dielectric material. Bare LED dies are mounted in a linear formation on the carrier. The width of the LED die formation does not exceed 0.75 mm and the area of the emission face of an LED die does not exceed 0.0625 mm2. Drivers are mounted on the carrier and are connected to drive the LED dies.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 20, 2021
    Publication date: June 29, 2023
    Inventors: Nicola Bettina Pfeffer, Frederic Stephane Diana, Kevin-Gx Jiao, Charles André Schrama, Arjen Gerben Van der Sijde, Alan Andrew McReynolds, Yifeng Qiu
  • Patent number: 11680696
    Abstract: LED arrays with diffusing elements are disclosed. In various embodiments, diffusing elements in the form of one or more structures of a diffuser material may be provided between an LED array and an optical element that collects light emitted by the array and directs the light to an optical far field. The optical element may image or approximately image the LED array. The diffusing elements at least partially blur patterning in the far field illumination that may otherwise arise from the optical element imaging the array. Each LED may be a wavelength-converting LED in that it may include a light emitter arrangement and a wavelength-converter structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignee: Lumileds LLC
    Inventors: Arjen van der Sijde, Nicola Bettina Pfeffer
  • Patent number: 11676991
    Abstract: A semiconductor light-emitting device has an emitter matrix with an arrangement of emitter cells interspersed with non-emitter cells. The emitter cell has a semiconductor emitter, and a non-emitter cell does not have a semiconductor emitter. A number of bond pads for connection to a power supply and a plurality of wirebonds are present. Each wirebond extends from a bond pad to the semiconductor emitter of an emitter cell. An imaging arrangement includes a light source for illuminating a scene. The light source has a pair of such semiconductor light-emitting devices. A method of manufacturing such a semiconductor light-emitting device is also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: Lumileds LLC
    Inventors: Nicola Bettina Pfeffer, Arjen Gerben Van der Sijde, Pieter Johannes Quintus van Voorst Vader
  • Publication number: 20230177793
    Abstract: An illumination arrangement in a mobile device is provided that uses an artificial neural network (ANN) to correct an image of a scene. The mobile device has an illumination apparatus with an LED array that emits light to illuminate a scene. The LED array has LEDs, separated by borders, that are independently driven. A camera has a sensor to capture an image of the scene. The ANN has a training mode in which the ANN is trained using a set of images captured by the camera to generate parameters. The ANN is trained offline in a cloud network. A processor uses the trained ANN in an inference mode to correct the image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 29, 2022
    Publication date: June 8, 2023
    Inventors: Erkan Diken, Arjen Gerben Van der Sijde, Nicola Bettina Pfeffer
  • Publication number: 20230171383
    Abstract: A projection system can include a housing. A controller can receive a video signal and, in response to the video signal, produce a light-emitting diode (LED) array-controlling signal and a modulation panel-controlling signal. An LED array disposed in the housing can include LEDs that are configured to produce LED light having corresponding time-varying intensities in response to the LED array-controlling signal. A modulation panel disposed in the housing can have a plurality of pixels that are configured to modulate corresponding portions of the LED light in response to the modulation panel-controlling signal to form intensity-modulated light. A lens disposed in or on the housing can project the intensity-modulated light out of the housing to form a video image that corresponds to the video signal. The video image can be located away from the housing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2022
    Publication date: June 1, 2023
    Inventors: Pieter Johannes Quintus van Voorst Vader, Arjen Gerben Van der Sijde, Nicola Bettina Pfeffer
  • Publication number: 20230167970
    Abstract: A mobile device contains an integrated structure (e.g., a semiconductor structure) that includes an LED matrix with one or more LED arrays and sensors on at least opposing edges of the LED matrix. Each LED array has LEDs that are separated by non-emitting areas and the LEDs are independently driven to provide light. The light is converted to white light using a phosphor disposed on the LEDs. The sensors detect ambient light or flicker. The semiconductor structure is attached to a semiconductor driver via conductive pillars and underfill between the conductive pillars. The driver is coupled to a PCB. The PCB is electrically coupled to the semiconductor structure via PCB contacts and LED contacts to drive the LEDs dependent on the ambient light.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 29, 2022
    Publication date: June 1, 2023
    Inventors: Arjen Gerben Van der Sijde, Nicola Bettina Pfeffer, Pieter Johannes Quintus van Voorst Vader
  • Patent number: 11662081
    Abstract: An adaptive lighting system comprises an array of independently controllable LEDs, and a metalens positioned to collimate, focus, or otherwise redirect light emitted by the array of LEDs. The adaptive lighting system may optionally include a pre-collimator positioned in the optical path between the array of LEDs and the metalens.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: LUMILEDS LLC
    Inventors: Venkata Ananth Tamma, Toni Lopez, Nicola Bettina Pfeffer, Marcel Rene Bohmer
  • Publication number: 20230152670
    Abstract: First and second LED arrays can include respective first and second pluralities of light-emitting areas that are separated by respective first and second boundaries. The first and second boundaries can be arranged in slightly different patterns. At least one lens can collimate light from the first LED array to form first illumination, collimate light from the second LED array to form second illumination, and illuminate the scene with the first and second illuminations. The first boundaries can form first dark bands in the first illumination. The second boundaries can form second dark bands in the second illumination, which can be slightly offset from the first dark bands at the scene.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 14, 2022
    Publication date: May 18, 2023
    Inventors: Nicola Bettina Pfeffer, Arjen Gerben Van der Sijde, Charles André Schrama
  • Publication number: 20230147783
    Abstract: An illumination system can include a dual junction light-emitting diode (LED) array including first and second junctions that extend in a plane. The first junction can emit first light from a plurality of first light-emitting areas that are separated by first boundaries. The second junction can be disposed on the first junction such that the first light passes through the second junction. The second junction can emit second light from a plurality of second light-emitting areas. The second light-emitting areas can be separated by second boundaries that correspond in a one-to-one correspondence to the first boundaries. The second boundaries can be offset in the plane from the corresponding first boundaries. The offset can help reduce or eliminate dark bands in the combined first and second light, which could be present if the second boundaries were not offset from the first boundaries.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 7, 2022
    Publication date: May 11, 2023
    Inventors: Arjen Gerben Van der Sijde, Nicola Bettina Pfeffer, Erik William Young
  • Publication number: 20230133339
    Abstract: A camera can capture an image of a scene during an exposure duration of the camera. An illumination system for the camera can include a light-emitting diode (LED) array. The LED array can include a plurality of LEDs that can produce light during the exposure duration of the camera. The LED array can include one or more non-emitting areas located between adjacent LEDs in the LED array. A lens can direct the light toward the scene as illumination. The illumination can include one or more dark bands corresponding to the one or more non-emitting areas of the LED array, optionally surrounding the LEDs in the LED array. An actuator can translate at least one of the LED array or the lens during the exposure duration of the camera so as to blur the one or more dark bands in the illumination in the image of the scene.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 2, 2022
    Publication date: May 4, 2023
    Inventors: Arjen Gerben Van der Sijde, Nicola Bettina Pfeffer
  • Publication number: 20230137928
    Abstract: A sensor can sense time-varying ambient light that is present in a scene to produce an ambient light signal. A processor can determine an ambient light frequency and an ambient light phase of the ambient light signal. Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) of an LED array can be electrically powered with pulse-width modulation (PWM) electrical signals having a same amplitude to produce illumination. Each LED can illuminate a respective region of the scene. Each PWM electrical signal can have a respective duty cycle that corresponds to a specified illumination intensity in a respective region of the scene. The PWM electrical signals can have a same PWM frequency that is an integral multiple of the ambient light frequency. Each PWM electrical signal can have a respective PWM phase that is synchronized to the ambient light phase. A lens can direct the illumination toward the scene to illuminate the scene.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 1, 2022
    Publication date: May 4, 2023
    Inventors: Nicola Bettina Pfeffer, Arjen Gerben Van der Sijde, Pieter Johannes Quintus van Voorst Vader, Marcus Hendrikus Adrianus van Steen, Ronald Johannes Bonne
  • Publication number: 20230122492
    Abstract: A structure and method of micro-LEDs are described. The micro-LEDs have a GaN semiconductor structure containing a multi-quantum well active region configured to emit light of a visible wavelength range and a multilayer reflector structure that includes a distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) with a maximum reflectance at the visible wavelength range and to reflect the light emitted by the active region towards an emission surface of the semiconductor structure. The multilayer reflector structure also has a protective layer between the DBR and the GaN structure that is transparent to light of visible wavelengths. The multilayer reflector structure also has an absorbing metal layer that absorbs the light of visible wavelengths. A conductive material provides electrically contact to the semiconductor structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 12, 2022
    Publication date: April 20, 2023
    Inventors: Antonio Lopez Julia, Nicola Bettina Pfeffer, Oleg Borisovich Shchekin
  • Publication number: 20230124794
    Abstract: A structure and method of micro-LEDs are described. The micro-LEDs have a GaN semiconductor structure containing a multi-quantum well active region configured to emit light of a visible wavelength range and a structure to increase specular reflection of ambient light by proving scattering at one or more interfaces of the micro-LEDs. The interfaces include the air-encapsulant interface, semiconductor-encapsulant interface, or semiconductor-contact interface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 12, 2022
    Publication date: April 20, 2023
    Inventors: Nicola Bettina Pfeffer, Arjen Gerben Van der Sijde, Antonio Lopez Julia
  • Patent number: 11610325
    Abstract: Multi-color flash with image post-processing that uses a camera device with a multi-color flash and implements post-processing to generate images is described. In one aspect, the multi-color flash with image post-processing may be implemented by a controller configured to control a camera and flashes of at least two different colors. The controller may be configured to cause the camera to acquire a first image of a scene while the scene is being illuminated with the first flash but not the second flash, then cause the camera to acquire a second image of the scene while the scene is being illuminated with the second flash but not the first flash, and generate a final image of the scene in post-processing based on a combination of the first image and the second image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2023
    Assignee: Lumileds LLC
    Inventors: Charles Schrama, Nicola Bettina Pfeffer, Arjen Gerben Van der Sijde
  • Publication number: 20220375397
    Abstract: A driver system controls a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs). The driver system includes a first driver to provide an LED current to each of the plurality of LEDs. The first driver includes a current mirror for the LED current provided to the plurality of LEDs. The driver system also includes a second driver to modulate the LED current provided to the plurality of LEDs.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 21, 2021
    Publication date: November 24, 2022
    Applicant: Lumileds LLC
    Inventors: Wilhelmus Johannes Robertus Van Lier, Marcus Hendrikus Adrianus van Steen, Nicola Bettina Pfeffer, Rob Jacques Paul Engelen, Erkan Diken, Arjen Gerben Van Der Sijde
  • Publication number: 20220377222
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a neuromorphic vision unit, an array, and a controller. The neuromorphic vision unit includes a plurality of pixels to photoelectrically produce data based on light received from an object in a scene. The array includes a plurality of light sources. The controller controls the plurality of light sources at one of a plurality of granularities, at least in part based on the data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 21, 2021
    Publication date: November 24, 2022
    Applicant: Lumileds LLC
    Inventors: Erkan Diken, Arjen Gerben Van Der Sijde, Nicola Bettina Pfeffer, Wilhelmus Johannes Robertus Van Lier, Marcus Hendrikus Adrianus van Steen, Rob Jacques Paul Engelen
  • Publication number: 20220359801
    Abstract: A lighting device comprises a light-emitting module with light-emitting elements, wherein the light-emitting elements are arranged adjacent to each other and are configured to emit light towards a light-emitting side. The light-emitting module is configured such that the light-emitting elements can be addressed partially independently of each other, such that some may be brought into a switched-on state while others are brought into a switched-off state. A top layer is disposed on the light-emitting module at the light-emitting side. Further comprising a switching material capable of a reversible change in transmittance for the light emitted by changing to a higher transmittance in regions where the top layer situated on light-emitting elements in the switched-on state or to a lower transmittance in regions of the top layer situated in the switched-off state. The invention further refers to methods for producing and operating a lighting device and using a lighting device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2022
    Publication date: November 10, 2022
    Inventors: Nicola Bettina Pfeffer, Arjen Gerben Van der Sijde, Marcel Rene Bohmer