Patents Examined by Don Le
  • Patent number: 9686838
    Abstract: A light fixture can include at least one light fixture component comprising at least one light source that emits a first level of fixture light. The light fixture can also include at least one sensor that measures a first total light amount at a first time of a first day, where the first total light amount includes the first level of fixture light and a first natural light amount. The light fixture can further include a controller coupled to the at least one sensor and the at least one light fixture component, where the controller controls and communicates with at least one sensor. The controller can further control the at least one light fixture component based on the first total light amount measured by the at least one sensor at the first time of the first day.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2017
    Assignee: Cooper Technologies Company
    Inventors: Brian Eugene Elwell, Timothy R Kemp, Jonathan Andrew Whitten
  • Patent number: 9685951
    Abstract: Described are integrated-circuit die with differential receivers, the inputs of which are coupled to external signal pads. Termination legs coupled to the signal pads support multiple termination topologies. These termination legs can support adjustable impedances, capacitances, or both, which may be controlled using an integrated memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2017
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventor: Huy Nguyen
  • Patent number: 9686840
    Abstract: A multi-mode control device is provided for controlling a load device. A high-power interface of the control device can be electrically coupled to a high-power module. An occupancy sensor can receive a first current from the high-power module via the high-power interface, and a trigger detection device can receive a second current that is less than the first current from a low-power module via a low-power interface. The processor can switch the control device from a high-power mode for powering the occupancy sensor to a low-power mode by causing a reduction in the current provided to the occupancy sensor and causing current to be provided to the trigger detection device. The trigger detection device can detect a trigger in the low-power mode. The processor can cause the control device to operate in the high-power mode based on the trigger's detection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2017
    Assignee: ABL IP Holding LLC
    Inventors: Stephen Haight Lydecker, Glen Andrew Kruse, Richard L. Westrick, Jr., Ryan Alexis Zaveruha
  • Patent number: 9668320
    Abstract: A path light that utilizes an ambient light sensor to determine the lighting conditions may experience feedback from its light source if it determines that the lighting conditions are appropriate to illuminate the path light's light source. The path light, as disclosed herein, may compute an offset value to ascertain the amount of feedback from the light source. Upon learning the offset value, the path light may subtract the offset value from a detected amount of light to determine whether the lighting conditions of its surroundings still meet a threshold level of darkness for the path light to illuminate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Yash Modi, Anthony Michael Fadell, Mark Rajan Malhotra, Shao-Po Ma
  • Patent number: 9668322
    Abstract: A smart laser pointer is disclosed in this application that includes a laser coupled to a processor that can disable the laser from operating for a period of time (T) based on a disabling trigger. The smart laser pointer may also include an optical receiver coupled to the processor that detects received laser signals that are emitted from the laser after they are reflected off of a target and a memory storing position information threshold limits. The processor calculates measured position information based on the received laser signals detected by the optical receiver and compares them to the position information threshold limits. A disabling trigger occurs when the position information exceeds the position information threshold limits. The position information and threshold limits may include a distance or a velocity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Inventor: Tyson York Winarski
  • Patent number: 9660648
    Abstract: A memory control component outputs a memory write command to a memory IC and also outputs write data to be received via data inputs of the memory IC. Prior to reception of the write data within the memory IC, the memory control component asserts a termination control signal that causes the memory IC to apply to the data inputs a first on-die termination impedance during reception of the write data followed by a second on-die termination impedance after the write data has been received. The memory control component deasserts the termination control signal to cause the memory IC to apply no termination impedance to the data inputs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2017
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventors: Kyung Suk Oh, Ian P. Shaeffer
  • Patent number: 9654107
    Abstract: An object is to achieve both suppression of operation delay and reduction in power consumption of a programmable LSI. A compiler generates, from source code, configuration data needed in a programmable LSI and a time schedule that shows a timing of using the data in the programmable LSI (a timing at which the data is held in a configuration memory) and a timing of storing the data in the programmable LSI before the data is used. Supply of new configuration data to the programmable LSI from the outside (storage of new configuration data) and data rewrite in the configuration memory in the programmable LSI (circuit reconfiguration) are performed independently and concurrently on the basis of the time schedule.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yoshiyuki Kurokawa
  • Patent number: 9655186
    Abstract: An emergency lighting system for an aircraft includes an emergency light control unit, having an external power input and at least one external control input for receiving external control commands from at least one of a cockpit crew, a cabin crew, a board computer and an autopilot, and a plurality of autonomous emergency light units, each of the plurality of autonomous emergency light units comprising at least one LED and a rechargeable capacitor. The emergency light control unit is configured to process the external control commands and to communicate emergency light control commands to the plurality of autonomous emergency light units as a response to the external control commands.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: GOODRICH LIGHTING SYSTEMS GMBH
    Inventors: Andre Hessling Von Heimendahl, Frank Klein, Benno Heissig
  • Patent number: 9655209
    Abstract: The present invention provide a constant current and temperature compensation control device for outdoor spotlights used on laser stages which includes a single chip microcomputer, a triode or an field effect transistor, a laser LED light, a heating piece and a driving triode used for driving the heating piece. The benefits of the present invention include protecting the laser light from damage caused by power surge which results in no light or weakened light intensity, saving the cost of a specialized current limiting chip, making the green laser module work normally in extremely cold outdoor environment thus being more favorable to apply this device to mood creating lights of Christmastime.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Inventor: Jun Xi
  • Patent number: 9642203
    Abstract: In one aspect, an integrated circuit (IC) is configured to receive an input signal. The IC includes a boost switch driver configured to provide a switching operation to a boost converter to drive a string of light emitting diodes (LEDs), a current sink driver connected to a current source and configured to provide a current signal to the string of LEDs, and a delay module configured to delay the current signal to the string of LEDs with respect to the input signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: Allegro Microsystems, LLC
    Inventors: Nai-Chi Lee, Pranav Raval
  • Patent number: 9635745
    Abstract: Disclosed is a wireless remote control circuit, comprising a control module, a drive circuit connected with control module, a signal receiving circuit and an operation circuit. When the signal receiving circuit receives an operation signal, a feedback electrical signal to the control module, and the drive circuit supplies power to the control module, signal receiving circuit and operation circuit. Meanwhile, the control module sends control signals to the operation circuit according to the electrical signal. The operation circuit comprises a buck-boost circuit that controls the motor running and a switching circuit that controls switching of the light switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Inventor: Zhi Bin Zhou
  • Patent number: 9635738
    Abstract: An illumination system which contains a mobile operating device, a plurality of lights, and a central control device. The control device is designed to control the lights. The operating device includes a position-sensing unit for determining the position of the operating device and additionally contains a display unit on which the positions of the lights and the position of the operating device can be displayed in combination. The operating device thus allows a user to select and operate the lights that are displayed. The lights are controlled using the central control device according to the user's input.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Assignee: ZUMTOBEL LIGHTING GMBH
    Inventors: Rene Joppi, Gregor Mayr
  • Patent number: 9623791
    Abstract: The lighting device includes a control circuit performing dimming control of dimming a light source device according to a desired dimming level. In the dimming control, the control circuit sets a desired current value of amplitude control to a value corresponding to the desired dimming level, and set a desired duty cycle of pulse width modulation control to a predetermined value associated with a dimming subrange containing the desired dimming level, of multiple different dimming subranges of a total dimming range of the light source device. The predetermined value is a duty cycle allowing luminance of the light source device to be equal to upper limit luminance of the associated dimming subrange under a condition where the current value of the current of the light source device is a maximum value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takahiro Fukui, Masaaki Takamatsu, Kazuya Kato
  • Patent number: 9629221
    Abstract: An LED fixture comprises: —at least one LED; —an electrical power terminal, electrically connected to the LED, the electrical power terminal for electrically connecting the LED to an LED driver, —a storagedevice for storing datain relation to the LED, and —a data processing device, electrically connected to the storage device for storing data in the storage device and reading data therefrom, the data processing device being arranged and connected for providing data communication via at least one of the electrical power terminal and the LED.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: ELDOLAB HOLDING B.V.
    Inventors: Marc Saes, Petrus Johannes Maria Welten
  • Patent number: 9622327
    Abstract: A device for testing a lighting device including a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs) and an LED driver configured to drive the plurality of LEDs to emit light includes a camera configured to image a surface on which light output by the LED lighting device is incident, and generate image data corresponding to an output of the LED lighting device; and a controller configured to compare the image data with a reference condition, and in response to the output of the LED lighting device deviating from the reference condition, control the LED driver to modify brightness of at least a portion of the plurality of LEDs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Sun Ki Kim
  • Patent number: 9614531
    Abstract: A termination resistance adjustment circuit includes a replica circuit having the same characteristics as drive circuits; a current source being able to adjust the amount of a load current of the replica circuit; a voltage generation circuit to generate a plurality of reference voltages respectively corresponding to a plurality of values of the input data with the plurality of bits; a comparison circuit to compare an output voltage of the replica circuit with the reference voltages; and a control circuit to change the amount of the load current by controlling the current source, to calculate values of the output resistances of the replica circuit for each of the plurality of levels, and to adjust the number of use of the drive circuits for each bit of the input data, based on the calculated values of the output resistances for each of the plurality of levels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignee: FUJITSU LIMITED
    Inventor: Takayuki Shibasaki
  • Patent number: 9615416
    Abstract: An apparatus for sensing input power source includes; an input power source; a rectifier for rectifying input power source (Vin) of the input power source into rectified power source (Vr); a dimming interface for sensing the state of the input power source; a first light; and a converter for converting the rectified power source (Vr) into a first power source (V21) and a second power source (V22) which were preset to apply them to the dimming interface and the first light, wherein the dimming interface and the first light are connected with the converter in a feedback type.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignee: LG INNOTEK CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Yong Hee Lee
  • Patent number: 9609724
    Abstract: An environment control system (1) for controlling the environment in an area (50), the area (50) comprising a plurality of sub-areas (50a1-50c5), the environment control system (1) comprising: a sensor unit (20) for generating a sensing signal pertaining to activity in the area (50), the sensor unit (20) comprising an activity type determination unit (22) for determining an activity type for each sub-area (50a1-50c5) based on the generated sensing signal for the area (50), a sound generating device (30) adapted to generate sound (32) with a varying sound property individually in each sub-area (50a1-50c5), the varying sound property having a first frequency, a light generating device (40) adapted to generate light (42) with a varying light property in each sub-area (50a1-50c5), the varying light property having a second frequency, a control unit (10) adapted to control the sound generating device (30) and the light generating device (40) independently for each sub-area (50ai-50c5), depending on the determined
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: PHILIPS LIGHTING HOLDING B.V.
    Inventors: Murtaza Bulut, Raymond Van Ee, Maria Estrella Mena Benito
  • Patent number: 9609707
    Abstract: A method for controlling a portable lighting device. The device has a switched-mode power supply, a light source, a high frequency switch, a controller controlling the operation of the light source and a user interface for inputting commands to the controller. A DC power source has a negative pole that is connected by only one single electric contact with the lighting device tail. The method for controlling a portable lighting device includes connecting a DC power source, an inductor, a light source, a high frequency switch and a resistor in series, measuring a voltage across the resistor, and controlling the high frequency switch dependent on the voltage measured across the resistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Inventor: Stacey West
  • Patent number: 9609728
    Abstract: A lighting system according to the embodiment includes a lighting device; and a graphic user interface displayed on a touch screen of a lighting control device to control the lighting device. The graphic user interface includes a first region to display a map for an installation space of the lighting device and a lighting icon corresponding to the lighting device in the map; and a second region to display a menu for setting a control condition of the lighting device corresponding to the lighting icon. The map includes a plurality of division spaces obtained by dividing the installation space into a plurality of regions and the lighting icon is displayed in a specific division space corresponding to an actual installation portion of the lighting device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: LG INNOTEK CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Dae Hun Kim, Sin Young Jung, Jong Heon Lee