Patents Examined by Pedro C Fernandez
  • Patent number: 9848486
    Abstract: Certain embodiments described herein are directed to induction devices that can be used to sustain a plasma. In certain configurations, the induction device may comprise one or more radial fins electrically coupled to a base. The induction device may take numerous forms including, for example, coils and plate electrodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2017
    Assignee: PerkinElmer Health Sciences, Inc.
    Inventors: Tak Shun Cheung, Chui Ha Cindy Wong
  • Patent number: 9839103
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for extracting power in a switch location, and in a load location for use in a pre-existing infrastructure of switching AC power to a lamp (or other load) via a two terminal switch device. The switch is replaced with a module including a first controlled switch (such as a triac or relay) and a first impedance (such as a capacitor) connected in parallel, and another module including a second controlled switch (such as a triac or relay) and a second impedance (such as a capacitor) connected in parallel, is installed at the load location. In an ‘off’ state where the two controlled switches are in ‘open’ state, current is flowing via the impedances, but not through the load, so that power extractor circuits in the modules, connected in series to the impedances, extract low power for DC powering logic and other loads in the modules.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: CMOO SYSTEMS LTD.
    Inventor: Avraham Avrahamy
  • Patent number: 9832828
    Abstract: Method and circuits for balancing a first waveform used to drive an LED are disclosed herein. The first waveform has a first cycle with a first amplitude and a second cycle with a second amplitude. An embodiment of the method includes adjusting the first amplitude of the first cycle to match the second amplitude of the second cycle, the result being a second waveform. The LED is driven with the second waveform.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Timothy Roy Sullivan, Daniel Ross Herrington
  • Patent number: 9820361
    Abstract: A networked lighting control system includes a variety of lighting control devices, including intelligent luminaires, standalone intelligent control nodes, plug load controllers, and power packs that communicate over a wireless control network and a commissioning network. Each lighting control device includes a dual-band wireless radio communication interface system. The dual-band wireless radio communication interface system is configured for unicast and multicast communication over a first of two different wireless communication bands as well as point-to-point communication over a second wireless communication band. The standalone intelligence control node can be a wall switch or detector. Commissioning and provisioning of the lighting control system is performed over the second communication band via communications with a mobile device and lighting controls are carried out over the first communication band. The lighting control devices may be divided into light control groups or zones.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2017
    Assignee: ABL IP HOLDING LLC
    Inventors: Larry D. Turvy, Jr., John W. Scrimgeour, Tyler B. Fultz, John Peter Roquemore, III
  • Patent number: 9820357
    Abstract: System and method are provided where an occupancy sensor with a time delay function designed to dim the lights, for example as a warning, after a first period of time has expired without detecting room occupancy. The lights remain dimmed for a second period of time, and then are turned off after a third period of time has expired without detecting room occupancy. If occupancy is detected during the first period of time, the lights will remain on. If occupancy is detected during the second or third period of time, the lights will be turned on to, for example, previous brightness. A night light can be added to, and/or incorporated in, an occupancy sensor which includes the dimmer feature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2017
    Assignee: Hubbell Incorporated
    Inventors: Christopher C. Primous, Thomas J. Batko
  • Patent number: 9820344
    Abstract: A circuit for controlling power to a load from a rectified AC supply is disclosed. The load like an LED or another type is driven by a power device such as a MOSFET or a transistor. The power device is biased from a resistive string which also includes a thyristor switch in series combination. At a specific trigger or conduction angle of the thyristor switch the proper bias for the power device is obtained to enable the load current to remains fairly constant with AC supply voltage fluctuations or loading. Furthermore the trigger circuit of the thyristor switch is properly configured in order for the load current to stay constant or even change with ambient temperature variations as well.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2017
    Inventor: Elias S Papanicolaou
  • Patent number: 9814108
    Abstract: A driver comprising a switched mode power supply, wherein said switched mode power supply comprises an existing coil, the driver circuit further comprises: a first power transmission antenna (42) formed as a first coil which is either the existing coil of the switched mode power supply or coupled to the existing coil of the switched mode power supply, said first power transmission antenna (42) is adapted for being magnetically coupled to a second power receiving antenna (44) thereby forming a wireless power transmitter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2017
    Assignee: PHILIPS LIGHTING HOLDING B.V.
    Inventors: Gang Wang, Liang Shi, Ping Kian Bee, Jie Fu, Xiao Sun
  • Patent number: 9801246
    Abstract: The light intensity level of a dimmable LED bulb is set by interruption of the AC signal by the user. The bulb's driver circuit includes a controller having dimmer control logic for controlling the brightness. Optionally, the LED bulb can be dimmed by an external TRIAC dimmer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignee: NANOGRID LIMITED
    Inventors: Tomas Rodinger, Gimmy Chu, Christian Yan
  • Patent number: 9781792
    Abstract: A series-wired LED light string formed of a plurality of LEDs connected in series with a current limiting resistor. A resistive component is electrically connected across each LED and serves as a shunt to electrically bypass a failed LED to keep the remaining LEDs in the light string fully illuminated. The LED light string has only two wires and is powered by a full wave rectified voltage, generated external to the light string.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: JLJ, Inc.
    Inventor: John L. Janning
  • Patent number: 9780650
    Abstract: A current compensation circuit includes a current compensator configured to measure a compensation time in which a sensing voltage generated by a driving current passing through a driving switching element drops below a first certain voltage in response to the driving switching element being turned on and configured to delay a turn-off point of the driving switching element from a point in which the sensing voltage reaches a second certain voltage during the measured compensation time and a switching controller configured to provide a switching control signal at a turn-off point of the delayed driving switching element. Such a current compensation circuit accurately controls an average driving current regardless of change of an input voltage and an output voltage and is able to use a peak current mode control method to operate a light emitting diode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: Magnachip Semiconductor, Ltd.
    Inventor: Seung Woo Hong
  • Patent number: 9781809
    Abstract: A system and method for automatic path light control based on a detected size and classification of motion around the device using passive infrared (PIR) sensor technologies and distributed classification algorithms, and on detected light levels in and around the path area using ambient light sensor (ALS) technologies. By using such sensor data, the path light does not need to be maintained at a fixed value, which may be inadequate or inefficient at times, nor require constant user adjustments. Implementations of the disclosed subject matter enable automatic path light control that can be dynamic and automatically adjusted to fit the environment, the current user characteristics and the current user movements through the environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Kenneth Louis Herman, Bryan James, Yash Modi, Laura Rabb, Michael Lammers, Aveek Ravishekhar Purohit, Michael Dixon, Shankaranand Swaminathan Iyer
  • Patent number: 9756689
    Abstract: A light output control device includes a switching device, multiple signal input ports, a signal selection circuit, and a control circuit. The switching device is to be electrically connected between a direct-current power supply and a light source circuit. The light source circuit includes a semiconductor light emitting element. The multiple signal input ports respectively correspond to multiple kinds of light output control signals. The signal selection circuit selects, when receiving two or more light output control signals indicating different light output levels through the multiple signal input ports, a light output control signal indicating a lowest (or highest) light output level, from the two or more light output control signals. The control circuit performs switching control of the switching device with a duty cycle corresponding to the lowest (or highest) light output level indicated by the light output control signal selected by the signal selecting circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2017
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shigeru Ido, Katsuhiko Ishikawa, Hirohiko Nojiri
  • Patent number: 9756701
    Abstract: A method is presented for producing light using a liquid media. The method includes: suspending nanoparticles in a polar liquid media; disposing a pair of electrodes in direct contact with the liquid media; and generating an excitation signal between the electrodes in the pair of electrodes, thereby illuminating a portion of the nanoparticles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2017
    Assignee: AhuraTech LLC
    Inventors: Hashem Akhavan-Tafti, Ehsan Yakhshi-Tafti, Barry A. Schoenfelner
  • Patent number: 9736896
    Abstract: A driver assembly (100) for a lighting unit (230) comprises a control unit (110). The lighting unit (230) comprises a plurality of strands (240, 250, 260), wherein each strand comprises a series circuit (242, 252, 262) of light-emitting diodes and a current source (243, 253, 263) with a first and a second terminal (246, 256, 266), and wherein the series circuit (242, 252, 262) of diodes is connected between a supply voltage input (231) of the lighting unit (230) and the first terminal of the current source (243, 253, 263) and the second terminal (246, 256, 266) of the current source is connected to a reference potential terminal via a resistor (245, 255, 265).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2017
    Assignee: AMS AG
    Inventors: Manfred Pauritsch, Werner Schögler, Stefan Wiegele
  • Patent number: 9732915
    Abstract: A light-emitting diode (LED) lamp which can replace a typical fluorescent lamp is provided. The LED lamp comprises external connection pins connected to terminals of an electronic or magnetic fluorescent lamp ballast, capacitor pairs connected to each of the external connection pins, diodes connected to each of the capacitor pairs and a LED array connected between the diodes, wherein an first external connection pin, a first capacitor pair, a first diode, an LED array, a second diode, a second capacitor pair and a second external connection pin are connected in series. Here, the first and second capacitor pairs include capacitors connected back to back. The LED lamp also further comprises a diode connected in anti-parallel with a series circuit of the second diode and the LED array, and another diode connected in anti-parallel with a series circuit of the first diode and the LED array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2017
    Assignees: KUMHO ELECTRIC INC.
    Inventor: Myung Koo Park
  • Patent number: 9711331
    Abstract: This disclosure describes systems, methods, and apparatus for pulsed RF power delivery to a plasma load for plasma processing of a substrate. In order to maximize power delivery, a calibration phase using a dummy substrate or no substrate in the chamber, is used to ascertain a preferred fixed initial RF frequency for each pulse. This fixed initial RF frequency is then used at the start of each pulse during a processing phase, where a real substrate is used and processed in the chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2017
    Assignee: Advanced Energy Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Mueller, Myeong Yeol Choi
  • Patent number: 9681513
    Abstract: A multiple location load control system comprises a main device and remote devices, which do not require neutral connections, but allow for visual and audible feedback at the main device and the remote devices. The main device and the remote devices are adapted to be coupled together via an accessory wiring. The main device can be wired on the line side and the load side of the load control system. The main device is configured to enable a charging path to allow the remote devices to charge power supplies through the accessory wiring during a first time period of a half cycle of the AC power source. The main device and the remote devices are configured to communicate with each other via the accessory wiring during a second time period of the half cycle, for example, by actively pulling-up and actively pulling-down the accessory wiring to communicate using tri-state logic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Assignee: LUTRON ELECTRONICS CO., INC.
    Inventors: Ehsan Dadashnialehi, Robert C. Newman, Jr., Daniel Curtis Raneri, Jaykrishna A. Shukla
  • Patent number: 9656596
    Abstract: A vehicle lamp system includes a lamp unit, a control unit that controls a change in luminance of LEDs of the lamp unit, and a storage unit that stores information indicating a priority of an event. In a case in which a second event occurs while the luminance of the LEDs is being gradually changed to reach first luminance in a first period, the control unit gradually changes the luminance of the LEDs to reach second luminance in a second period if the priority of the second event is higher than the priority of the first event, and gradually changes the luminance of the LEDs to reach the second luminance irrespective of the second period if the priority of the second event is lower than the priority of the first event.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2017
    Assignees: Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd., Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Atsushi Uesugi, Hideki Uchida, Tatsuya Takagaki, Takuya Murakami
  • Patent number: 9655210
    Abstract: A lighting system is provided that has lighting units and sensor units. One of the sensor units is first sensor unit that comprises a user control device for receiving user commands when a user enters the commands at the user control device. The lighting units are controlled according to a lighting plan that defines a group of the lighting units that is to be switched on in response to detection of a user command at the user control device, based on light transfer coefficients relating light intensities at the sensor units to light output from the lighting units. The transfer coefficients from the lighting units to each sensor unit are determined. The lighting plan is determined from the transfer coefficients by selecting the group of lighting units based on the transfer coefficients from the lighting units to the first sensor unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: NEDERLANDSE ORGANISATIE VOOR TOEGEPAST-NATUURWETENSCHAPPELIJK ONDERZOEK TNO
    Inventors: Jeroen Bergmans, Armin van der Togt, Per Majlor Ambrosiussen
  • Patent number: 9649976
    Abstract: Provided is a vehicle lamp that includes a first light emission unit and a second light emission unit including an organic EL element as a light source. The second light emission unit is turned on at a tail lamp on time. Both the first light emission unit and the second light emission unit are turned on at a stop lamp on time. The vehicle lamp further includes a light reduction unit configured to make light intensity of the second light emission unit at the stop lamp on time become lower than that at the tail lamp on time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Haruhiko Iyoda, Masaya Shido, Yoshiro Ito, Toru Ito