Patents by Inventor Brian Thomas Collins

Brian Thomas Collins 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: 20240110728
    Abstract: A fluid heating system including a burner unit is operated based on feedback control loops. The fluid heating system comprises a burner unit configured to heat a fluid, a sensor configured to sense a characteristic of the appliance, and a controller coupled to the burner unit and the sensor. The controller includes an electronic processor and a memory. The controller is configured to receive a first signal corresponding to the characteristic from the sensor, determine, based on the first signal, a first feedback loop control, control combustion of the burner unit based on the first feedback loop control, determine, based on the first feedback loop control, a second feedback loop control, and control combustion of the burner unit based on the second feedback loop control.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 6, 2023
    Publication date: April 4, 2024
    Inventors: Curtis George Gagne, Yonggon Lee, Brian Thomas Branecky, Barry Anthony Collins, Daniel Mitchell, Mohamed Mehdi Doura
  • Patent number: 10074781
    Abstract: A light emitting device includes a light emitting diode chip (“LED”) that emits light having a dominant wavelength in the blue color range and a recipient luminophoric medium that is configured to down-convert at least some of the light emitted by the LED. The recipient luminophoric medium includes a green phosphor, a yellow phosphor, a first red phosphor having a first dominant wavelength and a second red phosphor having a second dominant wavelength that is different from the first dominant wavelength.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2018
    Assignee: Cree, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert Wilcox, Brian Thomas Collins
  • Patent number: 9905735
    Abstract: A semiconductor light emitting device includes an LED and a recipient luminophoric medium that includes a first narrow-spectrum luminescent material that down-converts a first portion of the radiation emitted by the LED to radiation having a first peak wavelength in the green-yellow color range and a second narrow-spectrum luminescent material that down-converts a second portion of the radiation emitted by the LED to radiation having a second peak wavelength in an orange-red color range. The first and second luminescent materials and any additional narrow-spectrum luminescent materials that are included in the recipient luminophoric medium generate at least 80% of the light emitted by the recipient luminophoric medium. A CRI value of the combined light emitted by the semiconductor light emitting device is at least 60 and less than 80.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Assignee: Cree, Inc.
    Inventors: Florin A. Tudorica, Brian Thomas Collins
  • Patent number: 9589852
    Abstract: Methods are disclosed including applying a layer of binder material onto an LED structure. A luminescent solution including an optical material suspended in a solution is atomized using a flow of pressurized gas, and the atomized luminescent solution is sprayed onto the LED structure including the layer of binder material using the flow of pressurized gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: Cree, Inc.
    Inventors: Harry A. Seibel, II, Brian Thomas Collins
  • Patent number: 9537052
    Abstract: Provided according to embodiments of the invention are method of coating a phosphor that include contacting the phosphor with a sol comprising at least one of silica, alumina, borate and a precursor thereof, to form a coating on the phosphor; and heating the phosphor. Also provided are phosphors that are coated with alumina, silica and/or borate, and light emitting devices that include such phosphors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2017
    Assignee: Cree, Inc.
    Inventors: Harry A. Seibel, II, Brian Thomas Collins
  • Patent number: 9464225
    Abstract: A luminescent particle includes a luminescent compound that is configured to perform a photon down conversion on a portion of received light and a reflectance reducing outer surface of the luminescent particle that is operable to increase the portion of received light that is absorbed in the luminescent particle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2016
    Assignee: Cree, Inc.
    Inventors: Brian Thomas Collins, Ronan P. Le Toquin
  • Publication number: 20150060922
    Abstract: A light emitting device includes a light emitting diode chip (“LED”) that emits light having a dominant wavelength in the blue color range and a recipient luminophoric medium that is configured to down-convert at least some of the light emitted by the LED. The recipient luminophoric medium includes a green phosphor, a yellow phosphor, a first red phosphor having a first dominant wavelength and a second red phosphor having a second dominant wavelength that is different from the first dominant wavelength.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 28, 2014
    Publication date: March 5, 2015
    Inventors: Robert Wilcox, Brian Thomas Collins
  • Publication number: 20150024516
    Abstract: Methods are disclosed including applying a layer of binder material onto an LED structure. A luminescent solution including an optical material suspended in a solution is atomized using a flow of pressurized gas, and the atomized luminescent solution is sprayed onto the LED structure including the layer of binder material using the flow of pressurized gas.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 22, 2013
    Publication date: January 22, 2015
    Applicant: Cree, Inc.
    Inventors: Harry A. Seibel, II, Brian Thomas Collins
  • Patent number: 8906263
    Abstract: Provided according to embodiments of the invention are phosphor compositions that include Ca1-x-ySrxEuyAlSiN3, wherein x is in a range of 0.50 to 0.99 and y is less than 0.013. Also provided according to embodiments of the invention are phosphor compositions that include Ca1-x-ySrxEuyAlSiN3, wherein x is in a range of 0.70 to 0.99 and y is in a range of 0.001 and 0.025. Also provided are methods of making phosphors and light emitting devices that include a phosphor composition according to an embodiment of the invention.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: Cree, Inc.
    Inventors: Harry A. Seibel, II, Brian Thomas Collins, David Todd Emerson
  • Publication number: 20140217326
    Abstract: Provided according to embodiments of the invention are method of coating a phosphor that include contacting the phosphor with a sol comprising at least one of silica, alumina, borate and a precursor thereof, to form a coating on the phosphor; and heating the phosphor. Also provided are phosphors that are coated with alumina, silica and/or borate, and light emitting devices that include such phosphors.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 7, 2014
    Publication date: August 7, 2014
    Applicant: Cree, Inc.
    Inventors: Harry A. Seibel, II, Brian Thomas Collins
  • Patent number: 8747697
    Abstract: Provided herein are phosphor compositions that include a YAG phosphor that is substituted with gallium, such as YaCebAlcGadOz, wherein a, b, c, d and z are positive numbers. Also provided are solid state light emitting devices that include a YAG phosphor that is substituted with gallium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2014
    Assignee: Cree, Inc.
    Inventors: David Clatterbuck, Brian Thomas Collins
  • Patent number: 8729790
    Abstract: Provided according to embodiments of the invention are method of coating a phosphor that include contacting the phosphor with a sol comprising at least one of silica, alumina, borate and a precursor thereof, to form a coating on the phosphor; and heating the phosphor. Also provided are phosphors that are coated with alumina, silica and/or borate, and light emitting devices that include such phosphors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: Cree, Inc.
    Inventors: Harry A. Seibel, II, Brian Thomas Collins
  • Patent number: 8643038
    Abstract: Light emitting devices include a solid state lighting source and a recipient luminophoric medium for down-converting at least some of the radiation emitted by the solid state lighting source. The recipient luminophoric medium includes a first material that down-converts the radiation emitted by the solid state lighting source to radiation having a peak wavelength in the green color range that has a full width half maximum emission bandwidth that extends into the cyan color range, and at least one additional material that down-converts the radiation emitted by the solid state lighting source to radiation having a peak wavelength in another color range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2014
    Assignee: Cree, Inc.
    Inventors: Brian Thomas Collins, Jasper Cabalu
  • Patent number: 8608979
    Abstract: A luminescent particle includes an interior portion of the luminescent particle comprising a luminescent compound that reacts with atmospherically present components and a passivating layer on an outer surface of the luminescent particle that is operable to inhibit the reaction between the luminescent compound and the atmospherically present components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2013
    Assignee: Cree, Inc.
    Inventors: Brian Thomas Collins, Jesse Colin Reiherzer, Florin A. Tudorica
  • Publication number: 20130001470
    Abstract: A luminescent particle includes an interior portion of the luminescent particle comprising a luminescent compound that reacts with atmospherically present components and a passivating layer on an outer surface of the luminescent particle that is operable to inhibit the reaction between the luminescent compound and the atmospherically present components.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 12, 2012
    Publication date: January 3, 2013
    Applicant: Cree, Inc.
    Inventors: Brian Thomas Collins, Jesse Colin Reiherzer, Florin A. Tudorica
  • Publication number: 20120313124
    Abstract: Provided herein are phosphor compositions that include a YAG phosphor that is substituted with gallium, such as YaCebAlcGadOz, wherein a, b, c, d and z are positive numbers. Also provided are solid state light emitting devices that include a YAG phosphor that is substituted with gallium.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 7, 2011
    Publication date: December 13, 2012
    Inventors: David Clatterbuck, Brian Thomas Collins
  • Publication number: 20120306354
    Abstract: Provided according to embodiments of the invention are method of coating a phosphor that include contacting the phosphor with a sol comprising at least one of silica, alumina, borate and a precursor thereof, to form a coating on the phosphor; and heating the phosphor. Also provided are phosphors that are coated with alumina, silica and/or borate, and light emitting devices that include such phosphors.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 3, 2011
    Publication date: December 6, 2012
    Inventors: Harry A. Seibel, II, Brian Thomas Collins
  • Publication number: 20120305955
    Abstract: A luminescent particle includes a luminescent compound that is configured to perform a photon down conversion on a portion of received light. The luminescent compound includes a host compound material and an activator material that is combined with the host compound material. The activator material is provided in a quantity that limits a conversion efficiency of the luminescent compound to limit a decrease in the decrease in luminous intensity of light emitted from the luminescent compound and thus provide a given color shift of the a combined emission wavelength from a non-excited state to a steady-state excited condition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 31, 2011
    Publication date: December 6, 2012
    Inventors: Christopher P. Hussell, Brian Thomas Collins
  • Publication number: 20120305958
    Abstract: Provided according to embodiments of the invention are phosphor compositions that include Ca1-x-ySrxEuyAlSiN3, wherein x is in a range of 0.50 to 0.99 and y is less than 0.013. Also provided according to embodiments of the invention are phosphor compositions that include Ca1-x-ySrxEuyAlSiN3, wherein x is in a range of 0.70 to 0.99 and y is in a range of 0.001 and 0.025. Also provided are methods of making phosphors and light emitting devices that include a phosphor composition according to an embodiment of the invention.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 3, 2011
    Publication date: December 6, 2012
    Inventors: Harry A. Seibel, II, Brian Thomas Collins, David Todd Emerson
  • Patent number: 8287759
    Abstract: A luminescent particle includes an interior portion of the luminescent particle comprising a luminescent compound that reacts with atmospherically present components and a passivating layer on an outer surface of the luminescent particle that is operable to inhibit the reaction between the luminescent compound and the atmospherically present components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2012
    Assignee: Cree, Inc.
    Inventors: Brian Thomas Collins, Jesse Colin Reiherzer, Florin A. Tudorica