Patents by Inventor William R. Florac

William R. Florac 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: 11991799
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and devices described herein provide for operating a lighting fixture with a plurality of light sources at a target chromaticity with a target output spectral power distribution. The methods include multiplying a first spectral power distribution by a second spectral power distribution to determine a product spectral power distribution, multiplying the product spectral power distribution by an illuminant spectral power distribution to determine the target output spectral power distribution at the target chromaticity, and driving the plurality of light sources at intensities corresponding to the target output spectral power distribution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2024
    Assignee: Electronic Theatre Controls, Inc.
    Inventors: William R. Florac, Evan Gnam, Wendy Luedtke, Gary Bewick, Michael Wood
  • Patent number: 11849519
    Abstract: A method for control of a light fixture, the method including energizing the light fixture to produce a first light output with a first chromaticity and a first spectral power distribution, receiving a user input representative of a desired adjustment of a lighting effect, generating a target spectrum based on the user input, and energizing the light fixture to produce a second light output with the first chromaticity and a second spectral power distribution. The second power distribution approximates the target spectrum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2023
    Assignee: Electronic Theatre Controls, Inc.
    Inventors: William R. Florac, Evan Gnam, Wendy Luedtke, James Uphoff
  • Patent number: 11511978
    Abstract: A lift assembly including an article to be lifted between a lowered position and a raised position, a flexible drive element coupled to the article and defining a longitudinal axis, a power mechanism coupled to the flexible drive element, a drum powered by the power mechanism and dimensioned to facilitate winding of the flexible drive element onto the drum, and a cable keeper providing a force on the flexible drive element to bias the flexible drive element toward the drum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: Electronic Theatre Controls, Inc.
    Inventors: Donald A. Hoffend, III, William R. Florac, Michael Lichter, Edwin W. Bolz
  • Patent number: 11464088
    Abstract: A light fixture including a substrate and a plurality of light emitting diodes mounted on the substrate. The plurality of light emitting diodes includes a first light emitting diode having a peak wavelength within a range of 600 nanometers and 630 nanometers, and a full width at half maximum value of at least 140 nanometers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignee: Electronic Theatre Controls, Inc.
    Inventors: Evan Gnam, Wendy Luedtke, William R. Florac, Isabel Coff, David J. Cahalane
  • Publication number: 20220151044
    Abstract: A method for control of a light fixture, the method including energizing the light fixture to produce a first light output with a first chromaticity and a first spectral power distribution, receiving a user input representative of a desired adjustment of a lighting effect, generating a target spectrum based on the user input, and energizing the light fixture to produce a second light output with the first chromaticity and a second spectral power distribution. The second power distribution approximates the target spectrum.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 25, 2022
    Publication date: May 12, 2022
    Inventors: William R. Florac, Evan Gnam, Wendy Luedtke, James Uphoff
  • Publication number: 20220124884
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and devices described herein provide for operating a lighting fixture with a plurality of light sources at a target chromaticity with a target output spectral power distribution. The methods include multiplying a first spectral power distribution by a second spectral power distribution to determine a product spectral power distribution, multiplying the product spectral power distribution by an illuminant spectral power distribution to determine the target output spectral power distribution at the target chromaticity, and driving the plurality of light sources at intensities corresponding to the target output spectral power distribution.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 14, 2021
    Publication date: April 21, 2022
    Inventors: William R. Florac, Evan Gnam, Wendy Luedtke, Gary Bewick, Michael Wood
  • Patent number: 11240898
    Abstract: A method for control of a light fixture, the method including energizing the light fixture to produce a first light output with a first chromaticity and a first spectral power distribution, receiving a user input representative of a desired adjustment of a lighting effect, generating a target spectrum based on the user input, and energizing the light fixture to produce a second light output with the first chromaticity and a second spectral power distribution. The second power distribution approximates the target spectrum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Assignee: Electronic Theatre Controls, Inc.
    Inventors: William R. Florac, Evan Gnam, Wendy Luedtke, James Uphoff
  • Publication number: 20210251064
    Abstract: A method for control of a light fixture, the method including energizing the light fixture to produce a first light output with a first chromaticity and a first spectral power distribution, receiving a user input representative of a desired adjustment of a lighting effect, generating a target spectrum based on the user input, and energizing the light fixture to produce a second light output with the first chromaticity and a second spectral power distribution. The second power distribution approximates the target spectrum.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 11, 2021
    Publication date: August 12, 2021
    Inventors: William R. Florac, Evan Gnam, Wendy Luedtke, James Uphoff
  • Publication number: 20210188604
    Abstract: A lift assembly including an article to be lifted between a lowered position and a raised position, a flexible drive element coupled to the article and defining a longitudinal axis, a power mechanism coupled to the flexible drive element, a drum powered by the power mechanism and dimensioned to facilitate winding of the flexible drive element onto the drum, and a cable keeper providing a force on the flexible drive element to bias the flexible drive element toward the drum.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2021
    Publication date: June 24, 2021
    Inventors: Donald A. Hoffend, III, William R. Florac, Michael Lichter, Edwin W. Bolz
  • Publication number: 20210185779
    Abstract: A light fixture including a substrate and a plurality of light emitting diodes mounted on the substrate. The plurality of light emitting diodes includes a first light emitting diode having a peak wavelength within a range of 600 nanometers and 630 nanometers, and a full width at half maximum value of at least 140 nanometers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 9, 2020
    Publication date: June 17, 2021
    Inventors: Evan Gnam, Wendy Luedtke, William R. Florac, Isabel Coff, David J. Cahalane
  • Patent number: 10772173
    Abstract: A light fixture including an array of LED light sources corresponding to a color channel of the light fixture, a driver circuit configured to drive the array of LED light sources, and a controller. The controller controls the operation of the light fixture to receive a direct drive signal related to a direct drive signal value for the array of LED light sources, determine an output of a reference light fixture based on the direct drive signal, determine a value for a color channel drive signal based on the output of the reference light fixture, and provide a control signal to the driver circuit to cause the driver circuit to apply the color channel drive signal having the value to the array of LED light sources. The value for the color channel drive signal results in an output of the light fixture that matches the output of the reference light fixture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2020
    Assignee: Electronic Theatre Controls, Inc.
    Inventors: Gary Bewick, William R. Florac
  • Publication number: 20190194003
    Abstract: A lift assembly includes an article to be lifted between a lowered position and a raised position, a drive element coupled to the article, a power mechanism coupled to the drive element, and a power transfer mechanism coupled between the power mechanism and the drive element. The power transfer mechanism includes control electronics having a first upward limit switch adapted to deactivate the power mechanism when the article is lifted to a first upward height, and a second upward limit switch adapted to deactivate the power mechanism when the article is lifted to a second upward height higher than the first upward height.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2019
    Publication date: June 27, 2019
    Inventors: Donald A. Hoffend, III, William R. Florac, Michael Lichter, Edwin W. Bolz
  • Patent number: 9061869
    Abstract: A lift assembly comprising an article to be raised and lowered, a cable coupled to the article and defining a longitudinal axis, a power mechanism coupled to the drive element, a drum powered by the power mechanism, a cable keeper biasing the drive element toward the drum, a keeper shaft providing lateral movement of the cable keeper, and an encoder mounted for rotation with the keeper shaft. The encoder provides information regarding the position of the article. The lift assembly can also include a load cell assembly including a load cell housing, a load cell member contacting the drive element and movable relative to the load cell housing, and a load cell sensor coupled to the load cell member and operative to provide an output corresponding with a load on the drive element. The load cell member can be mounted for movement laterally relative to the longitudinal axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2015
    Assignee: Electronic Theatre Controls, Inc.
    Inventors: Donald A. Hoffend, III, William R Florac, Michael Lichter, Edwin W. Bolz
  • Publication number: 20130015315
    Abstract: A lift assembly comprising an article to be raised and lowered, a cable coupled to the article and defining a longitudinal axis, a power mechanism coupled to the drive element, a drum powered by the power mechanism, a cable keeper biasing the drive element toward the drum, a keeper shaft providing lateral movement of the cable keeper, and an encoder mounted for rotation with the keeper shaft. The encoder provides information regarding the position of the article. The lift assembly can also include a load cell assembly including a load cell housing, a load cell member contacting the drive element and movable relative to the load cell housing, and a load cell sensor coupled to the load cell member and operative to provide an output corresponding with a load on the drive element. The load cell member can be mounted for movement laterally relative to the longitudinal axis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 18, 2012
    Publication date: January 17, 2013
    Applicant: ELECTRONIC THEATRE CONTROLS, INC.
    Inventors: Donald A. Hoffend, III, William R. Florac, Michael Lichter