Patents Examined by Jason M Crawford
  • Patent number: 10021746
    Abstract: A circuit and a method for operating LED lighting devices are described. A first LED lighting device and a second LED lighting device are electrically connected in series between first and second lighting circuit terminals. A third lighting circuit terminal is connected between the first and second LED lighting devices. A power supply with a first and second power supply terminals for delivering electrical power to the LED lighting devices is provided. Further, a switching circuit comprises at least a first switching element and second switching element. The first switching element is connected between the first power supply terminal and the first lighting circuit terminal. The second switching element is connected between the first power supply terminal and the third lighting circuit terminal. The switching circuit receives switching signals sw1, sw2 from a control circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2018
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
    Inventor: Achim Hilgers
  • Patent number: 10021752
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a lighting method and a lighting device and belongs to the field of lighting technology. The method includes acquiring environment information about a lighting device, where the environment information indicates environment features about the lighting device; acquiring a target light parameter corresponding to the environment information about the lighting device based on a predetermined correspondence between environment information and light parameters, where the target light parameter includes at least one of light color, color temperature and light-emitting power; and controlling the lighting device to emit light corresponding to the target light parameter based on the target light parameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2018
    Assignees: BOE TECHNOLOGY GROUP CO., LTD., BEIJING BOE CHATANI ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Zirui Niu
  • Patent number: 10015851
    Abstract: A ballast circuit suitable for driving an LED or similar load, comprises a primary switch mode converter, means for measuring a modulation, such as a phase cut, as used for dimming light levels, on an input AC supply, a current regulator positioned in series with the load, and a feedback controller for controlling operation of the switch mode controller based upon measured modulation levels. The feedback controller is adapted to interrupt normal switching of the switch mode converter if modulation levels detected lead to the ballast working at a lower than desired efficiency (deep dimming), or if voltage levels across the current regulator are higher than desired. The feedback controller may have a further feedback means for controlling switch mode parameters during lower levels of modulation (shallow dimming). The circuit allows large dimming levels to be achieved without generating appreciable light flicker in the load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Assignee: Accuric Ltd.
    Inventor: David Charles Bannister
  • Patent number: 10008150
    Abstract: A light-emitting device comprising an emitting unit including at least two emitting elements, a driving unit configured to control the emitting unit, and a capacitor unit formed over the driving unit. A shield layer may be located between the two emitting elements. In one example, the capacitor unit is formed at a level higher than a level of the driving unit, and a shield layer that is located between the two emitting elements is formed at a level that is higher than the level of the driving unit and equal to or lower than the level of the capacitor unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2018
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Tetsuo Minami, Junichi Yamashita
  • Patent number: 10008946
    Abstract: A primary-side regulated (PSR) current control system under a LLC topology includes a voltage polarity converting circuit, a current signal sampling circuit, a current cross-over detecting circuit, a zero current detecting circuit, and a current integrator circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2018
    Assignee: YU JING ENERGY TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Sen-Tai Yang
  • Patent number: 10002865
    Abstract: A 3D structure, the structure including: a first stratum overlaid by a second stratum, the second stratum is less than two microns thick, where the first stratum includes an array of memory cells including at least four rows of memory cells, each of the rows is controlled by a bit-line, where the array of memory cells includes a plurality of columns of memory cells, each of the columns is controlled by a word-line, and where the second stratum includes memory control circuits directly connected to the bit-lines and the word-lines, where the second stratum includes a first layer including first transistors and a second layer including second transistors, where the first layer includes a first bus, the first bus interconnecting a plurality of first logic units, where the second layer includes a second bus, the second bus interconnecting a plurality of second logic units.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2018
    Assignee: MONOLITHIC 3D INC.
    Inventors: Zvi Or-Bach, Zeev Wurman
  • Patent number: 9991894
    Abstract: A layout arrangement for a resistive random access memory cell includes an active area, a polysilicon row address line over the active region, a metal column address line running orthogonal to the row address line and having an active region contact portion extending over the active region and having a contact to the active region. A metal output line runs parallel to the column address line over the active region. A first cell contact region intersects with the output line and has a contact to the active region. A first metal cell contact region forms an intersection with the first cell contact region. A first resistive random access memory device is formed at the intersection of the first cell contact region and the output line. A second resistive random access memory device is formed at the intersection of the first cell contact region and the first cell contact region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2018
    Assignee: Microsemi SoC Corp.
    Inventors: Jonathan Greene, Frank Hawley, John L. McCollum
  • Patent number: 9992841
    Abstract: Controlling the color temperature of a composite light source including at least one discrete-spectrum light source is disclosed. For example, the color temperature of a composite light source including at least one discrete-spectrum light source may be determined and/or adjusted based on one or more of the ambient color temperature of a space, the actual temperature of the space, the relative brightness of the space, the occupancy of the space, a time clock, a demand response command (e.g., from an electrical utility), the absolute location of the composite light source, the location of the composite light source relative to other light sources, inputs from a camera or other external devices, the operation of appliances or other machines in the vicinity of the composite light source, media content being utilized in the vicinity of the composite light source, and/or other sensor inputs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2018
    Assignee: Lutron Electronics Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas M. Shearer, Arya Abraham, Ethan Charles Biery, Timothy P. Gredler, Juha Mikko Hakkarainen
  • Patent number: 9991892
    Abstract: Electronic device comprising at least: a plurality of MOSFET FD-SOI type transistors among which the first transistors are such that each first transistor comprises a channel in which a concentration of the same type of dopants as those present in the source and drain of said first transistor is greater than the concentration in the channel of each of the other transistors in said plurality of transistors; and an identification circuit capable of determining a unique identifier of the electronic device starting from at least one intrinsic electrical characteristic of each of the first transistors, the value of which depends at least partly on the conductance of said first transistor; and in which the length of a gate of each of the first transistors is less than or equal to about 20 nm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2018
    Assignee: COMMISSARIAT A L'ENERGIE ATOMIQUE ET AUX ENERGIES ALTERNATIVES
    Inventors: Romain Wacquez, Jacques Fournier, Carlo Reita
  • Patent number: 9986613
    Abstract: Disclosed are lighting devices (102), luminaires, lighting systems, lighting modules (104), and methods of controlling the same are taught herein. In various embodiments, a lighting device (102) may include a light source such as an LED (118) configured to emit light towards a targeted portion (106) of a surface (108). An LED driver (120) may be configured energize the LED in response to a compensated signal (132). A light sensor (122) may be configured to measure light reflected from the targeted portion of the surface and to generate a reflected light signal (128) that represents one or more properties of the reflected light. A controller (116) may be operably coupled with the LED driver and the light sensor. The controller may be configured to generate the compensated signal based on the reflected light signal and an input signal (130) that represents one or more desired properties of light to be reflected from the targeted portion of the surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2018
    Assignee: PHILIPS LIGHTING HOLDING B.V.
    Inventors: Ramon Antoine Wiro Clout, Bartel Marinus Van De Sluis, Philip Steven Newton, Tim Dekker
  • Patent number: 9986622
    Abstract: Provided is a lighting apparatus and a method for controlling the same using a mobile device. A lighting system may include a mobile terminal, a hub configured to communicate with the mobile terminal, and an LED lamp configured to communicate with the hub. The mobile terminal may be configured to display an image captured or focused using a camera at the mobile terminal. The mobile terminal may transfer to the hub information corresponding to a selection of a region of the image. The hub may provide a wireless signal corresponding to the information received from the mobile terminal for changing a color of light emitted by the LED lamp. The LED lamp may be controlled based on the ZigBee communication protocol.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2018
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Youjoo Min, Jooyeon Kim, Jisun Lee, Jisook Lee, Grami Ryu, Moonsung Kim, Jeonghwa Yang, Jongsun Jeon
  • Patent number: 9986616
    Abstract: A lamp control device includes a lamp including an LED module which has a plurality of LED channels; and a controller configured to detect respective feedback voltages of the plurality of LED channels, and determine, when at least any one feedback voltage among the feedback voltages is retained to be lower than a predetermined reference voltage and a generation count of an over voltage protection signal reaches a predetermined reference count, an LED channel corresponding to the feedback voltage, as an open.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2018
    Assignee: SILICON WORKS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Ju Pyo Hong, Joo Wan Ha, Hai Feng Jin, Se Won Lee, Wanyuan Qu, Sung Hwan Kim, Sun Geon Yoo, Byeong Ho Jeong, Ju Hyun Lee
  • Patent number: 9979398
    Abstract: A buffer circuit includes a buffer group including an odd number of cascade buffers, where the buffers may be different from each other; a PMOS transistor and an NMOS transistor; where a source of the PMOS transistor is coupled to a power source, a drain thereof is connected to an output terminal of the buffer group, and a gate thereof is connected to an input terminal of the buffer group; a source of the NMOS transistor is coupled to ground, a drain thereof is connected to the output terminal of the buffer group, and a gate thereof is connected to the input terminal of the buffer group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2018
    Assignee: CAPITAL MICROELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Rifeng Mai
  • Patent number: 9980347
    Abstract: The invention relates to a lighting system for lighting a space (R) which lighting system has means (4) for producing space illumination over a large area, and means (5) for producing concentrated local lighting. Furthermore the lighting system has a presence detector (6) for detecting the presence of at least one person (P) in the space (R) and a control device (8) for controlling the means (4) for producing the space illumination and the means (5) for producing the local lighting. To this end the control device (8) is configured to control the space illumination over a large area automatically as a function of the daylight or as a function of the daytime and to control the local lighting automatically as a function of the presence of at least one person (P) in the space (R). Because the space illumination is controlled automatically as a function of the daylight or of the daytime, the illumination can be prevented from being reduced so much that a lighting mood is produced which has a negative effect.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2018
    Assignee: ZUMTOBEL LIGHTING GMBH
    Inventors: Manfred Petschulat, Sebastian Schubnell
  • Patent number: 9979401
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention relate generally to logic devices, and more particularly, to magnetoelectric magnetic tunneling junction computational devices. Aspects of the disclosed technology include a stand-alone voltage-controlled magnetoelectric device that satisfies essential requirements for general logic applications, including nonlinearity, gain, concatenability, feedback prevention, and a complete set of Boolean operations based on the majority gate and inverter. Aspects of the present disclosed technology can eliminate the need for any auxiliary FETs to preset or complicated clocking schemes, and prevents the racing condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2018
    Assignee: Georgia Tech Research Corporation
    Inventors: Chenyun Pan, Sourav Dutta, Azad Naeemi
  • Patent number: 9980333
    Abstract: A driving apparatus configured to drive a light emitting device includes a driving current source module operable to supply current to the light emitting device via a node during operation. A protection module coupled to the node and the driving current source module selectively injects current to the node during operation. The driving current source module is controlled based on a detection result of a voltage on the node.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2018
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics (Shenzhen) R&D Co. Ltd
    Inventors: Yi Jun Duan, Tao Tao Huang
  • Patent number: 9979396
    Abstract: An analog multiplexer includes inputs and one output. A switching circuit is coupled between each input and the output. Each switching circuit includes an NMOS switching module, having an on state and an off state, and a control module supplied by a first supply voltage and operating to reduce leakage currents of the NMOS switching module when in the off state. The control module further operates to make the first NMOS switching module bidirectional irrespective of voltages present at the input and at the output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2018
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics (Grenoble 2) SAS
    Inventors: Thierry Masson, Pawel Fiedorow
  • Patent number: 9972536
    Abstract: A reconfigurable device and an analog circuit are formed on a single chip so that the analog circuit can be controlled by the reconfigurable device. A reconfigurable semiconductor device (1) includes a plurality of logic sections (20) and an analog section (10). The plurality of logic sections (20) are connected to each other by an address line or a data line. The analog section (10) includes a plurality of input/output sections and an output amplifier. Each of the logic sections (20) includes a plurality of address lines, a plurality of data lines, a memory cell unit, and an address decoder that decodes an address signal and that outputs a decoded signal to the memory cell unit. The plurality of logic sections (20) and the analog section (10) are mounted in the same chip package.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignee: TAIYO YUDEN CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hideaki Yoshida, Mitsunori Katsu, Hiroyuki Kozutsumi
  • Patent number: 9960771
    Abstract: Disclosed embodiments select a proper hum frequency reference by utilizing one or more functional logic circuits within a cluster. The slowest logic circuit is determined, and an instance of that logic circuit is used in timing circuitry for the cluster. Multiple logic circuits with similar characteristics are incorporated into the timing circuit. Each cluster is interconnected to a second level timing circuit. Each cluster inputs timing information into the second level timing circuit. The second level timing circuit then determines when the next cycle, or tic, of the self-generated clock starts, and the process repeats, providing a self-generated clock signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: Wave Computing, Inc.
    Inventors: Gajendra Prasad Singh, Shaishav Desai
  • Patent number: 9961749
    Abstract: A power harvesting switch circuit includes a main switch and a voltage extractor connected in series between Line wire and switch wire. The main switch includes a first power MOSFET and a second power MOSFET connected in series. The voltage extractor includes a first Zener diode and a second Zener diode connected in series but in opposite directions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: Climax Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Pin-Chia Lee, Yu-Ling Chou, Lung-Shu Liu, Ku-Fang Wang