Patents by Inventor Dieter Nietfeld

Dieter Nietfeld 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: 20230354489
    Abstract: A method is provided for operating a control and/or regulating system for a light emitting diode field. At least two first outputs are provided at which control signals for controlling controllable switch elements of the light emitting diode field are tapped. A second output is provided at which control and/or regulating signals for controlling and/or regulating a controllable and/or regulatable power source is tapped. The voltage drop across the light emitting diode field is measured by the first voltage sensor, and when the control and/or regulating signal of the control and/or regulating system falls below a designated voltage value, the controllable and/or regulatable power source is switched off. A constant sensor signal is present at the at least one measuring signal input, and the sensor signal is larger than the designated voltage value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 12, 2023
    Publication date: November 2, 2023
    Inventors: Shaham Nemati, Dieter Nietfeld, Bernd Schulte-Eversum
  • Publication number: 20220377862
    Abstract: A lighting unit having a light-emitting diode matrix and a controllable power source, in particular for a headlight. The light-emitting diode matrix is equipped with at least one first supply connection, a number m of first switches which have a first connection that is connected to the first supply connection, at least one second supply connection, a number n of second switches which have a second connection that is connected to the second supply connection, a number of m*n inorganic light-emitting diodes, a first connection of which is connected to a second connection of one of the first switches and a second connection of which is connected to a first connection of one of the second switches.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 28, 2022
    Publication date: November 24, 2022
    Applicant: HELLA GmbH & Co. KGaA
    Inventors: Christoph FOECKING, Dieter NIETFELD
  • Publication number: 20220353964
    Abstract: A control and/or regulating system is provided for controlling and/or regulating an LED field with n LEDs, with outputs at which control and/or regulating signals for controlling and/or regulating controllable switching elements can be tapped. The control and/or regulating system can be used to define activation times and/or deactivation times of impulses through the control signals and/or regulating signals and one and/or several controllable switching elements can be actuated during the determined impulses for closing or opening. A number of k groups can be specified or has been specified. Each LED is allocated to one of the k groups such that each one of the k groups mj contains LEDs, where 1?j?k and is ?j=1kmj=n and the determined activation times and/or deactivation times of the impulses of every single group has been specified by the control and/or regulating system such that the impulses overlap as little as possible.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 18, 2020
    Publication date: November 3, 2022
    Inventor: Dieter Nietfeld
  • Patent number: 11197358
    Abstract: A method for reducing the maximum demand of the current received by an LED matrix from a current source. Each LED of the LED matrix receiving a pulse width-modulated current from the current source, an activation period being assigned to each LED in an elementary period of the pulse width-modulated current, and/or a deactivation period is assigned, in which no current flows through the LED, the activation period and the deactivation period being able to be equal in length or shorter than the elementary period, and in the case that the activation period assigned to one of the LEDs and the deactivation period assigned to this LED are shorter than an elementary period, the activation period begins at an activation point in time and ends at a deactivation point in time, and the deactivation period begins at the deactivation point in time and ends at the activation point in time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: Hella GmbH & Co. KGaA
    Inventors: Shaham Nemati, Dieter Nietfeld, Jacek Roslak
  • Patent number: 11184966
    Abstract: An arrangement including a light-emitting diode array made up of light-emitting diodes, each light-emitting diode being switchable on and off with the aid of a controllable switch, and including a current source for supplying the light-emitting diode array with current. The arrangement including an interface, to which an input signal having image information for an image, which is displayable with the aid of the light-emitting diode array, may be applied, and the interface converting the input signal into digital signals in which information is contained for switching the controllable switches on and off. The arrangement including a counter, with the aid of which it is possible to detect how many switches are closed or are to be closed within a clock pulse. The current supplied by the current source is controllable as a function of the counter reading.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: Hella GmbH & Co. KGaA
    Inventor: Dieter Nietfeld
  • Publication number: 20210160987
    Abstract: An arrangement including a light-emitting diode array made up of light-emitting diodes, each light-emitting diode being switchable on and off with the aid of a controllable switch, and including a current source for supplying the light-emitting diode array with current. The arrangement including an interface, to which an input signal having image information for an image, which is displayable with the aid of the light-emitting diode array, may be applied, and the interface converting the input signal into digital signals in which information is contained for switching the controllable switches on and off. The arrangement including a counter, with the aid of which it is possible to detect how many switches are closed or are to be closed within a clock pulse. The current supplied by the current source is controllable as a function of the counter reading.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 3, 2021
    Publication date: May 27, 2021
    Applicant: HELLA GmbH & Co. KGaA
    Inventor: Dieter NIETFELD
  • Patent number: 10791602
    Abstract: A method for adjusting a voltage supply device for a multichannel LED control and power supply device having a determination of a number of LEDs that are connected to a multichannel LED control and power supply device or are a part of this device and that are switched on and supplied with current by the multichannel LED control and power supply device at a point in time, and a setting of a voltage with which the multichannel LED control and power supply device is supplied as a function of the number of LEDs determined that are switched on and supplied with current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2020
    Assignee: Hella GmbH & Co. KGaA
    Inventor: Dieter Nietfeld
  • Publication number: 20200267816
    Abstract: A method for reducing the maximum demand of the current received by an LED matrix from a current source. Each LED of the LED matrix receiving a pulse width-modulated current from the current source, an activation period being assigned to each LED in an elementary period of the pulse width-modulated current, and/or a deactivation period is assigned, in which no current flows through the LED, the activation period and the deactivation period being able to be equal in length or shorter than the elementary period, and in the case that the activation period assigned to one of the LEDs and the deactivation period assigned to this LED are shorter than an elementary period, the activation period begins at an activation point in time and ends at a deactivation point in time, and the deactivation period begins at the deactivation point in time and ends at the activation point in time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 14, 2020
    Publication date: August 20, 2020
    Applicant: HELLA GmbH & Co. KGaA
    Inventors: Shaham NEMATI, Dieter NIETFELD, Jacek ROSLAK
  • Patent number: 10555391
    Abstract: A light-emitting diode assembly having at least one light-emitting diode, a controller which is designed to dim the at least one light-emitting diode by means of pulse width modulation, wherein the pulse width modulation is characterized by a clock pulse and a pulse duration during a clock pulse. The controller is designed to actuate the at least one light-emitting diode with packets of at least two clock pulses. The controller being optionally designed to actuate the at least one light-emitting diode in a first operating mode and at least one second operating mode, wherein the at least one light-emitting diode is actuated in the first operating mode with the same pulse durations within the packet and is actuated in the second operating mode with at least one different pulse duration within the packet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2020
    Assignee: Hella GmbH & Co. KGAA
    Inventor: Dieter Nietfeld
  • Publication number: 20200022231
    Abstract: A method for adjusting a voltage supply device for a multichannel LED control and power supply device having a determination of a number of LEDs that are connected to a multichannel LED control and power supply device or are a part of this device and that are switched on and supplied with current by the multichannel LED control and power supply device at a point in time, and a setting of a voltage with which the multichannel LED control and power supply device is supplied as a function of the number of LEDs determined that are switched on and supplied with current.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 15, 2019
    Publication date: January 16, 2020
    Applicant: Hella GmbH & Co. KGaA
    Inventor: Dieter NIETFELD
  • Publication number: 20180310377
    Abstract: A light-emitting diode assembly having at least one light-emitting diode, a controller which is designed to dim the at least one light-emitting diode by means of pulse width modulation, wherein the pulse width modulation is characterized by a clock pulse and a pulse duration during a clock pulse. The controller is designed to actuate the at least one light-emitting diode with packets of at least two clock pulses. The controller being optionally designed to actuate the at least one light-emitting diode in a first operating mode and at least one second operating mode, wherein the at least one light-emitting diode is actuated in the first operating mode with the same pulse durations within the packet and is actuated in the second operating mode with at least one different pulse duration within the packet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 25, 2018
    Publication date: October 25, 2018
    Applicant: HELLA GmbH & Co. KGaA
    Inventor: Dieter NIETFELD
  • Patent number: 9295118
    Abstract: A method for operating a circuit configuration which includes a power source, a light diode field switched serially with the power source in which the light diode field comprises at least two serial circuits including at least one light diode and a switch, a control and/or regulating means for the light diode field, and a voltage sensor. The control and/or regulation means controlling the controllable switches and the power source such that the control and/or regulation means addresses the controllable switch of at least one serial circuit of the light diode field during a clock cycle for a pulse duration determined by the control and/or regulation means using a control pulse at the control input of the controllable switch for closing. The control and/or regulation means addresses the power source shortly before or at the latest simultaneous with the end of a pulse duration such that the current is reduced, namely by the amount of current through the serial circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: HELLA KGAA HUECK & CO.
    Inventor: Dieter Nietfeld
  • Publication number: 20150022112
    Abstract: A method for operating a circuit configuration which includes a power source, a light diode field switched serially with the power source in which the light diode field comprises at least two serial circuits including at least one light diode and a switch, a control and/or regulating means for the light diode field, and a voltage sensor. The control and/or regulation means controlling the controllable switches and the power source such that the control and/or regulation means addresses the controllable switch of at least one serial circuit of the light diode field during a clock cycle for a pulse duration determined by the control and/or regulation means using a control pulse at the control input of the controllable switch for closing. The control and/or regulation means addresses the power source shortly before or at the latest simultaneous with the end of a pulse duration such that the current is reduced, namely by the amount of current through the serial circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 28, 2013
    Publication date: January 22, 2015
    Inventor: Dieter Nietfeld
  • Publication number: 20120119671
    Abstract: A circuit configuration for powering electrical loads, especially light emitting diodes, using a DC voltage converter with controllable switching element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 3, 2011
    Publication date: May 17, 2012
    Applicant: HELLA KGAA
    Inventor: Dieter Nietfeld