Patents by Inventor Frederick M. Espiau
Frederick M. Espiau 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).
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Patent number: 8256938Abstract: A street lamp apparatus. The apparatus has a housing having an inner region and an outer region. In a specific embodiment, the inner region forms a cavity structure. The apparatus also has a transparent cover coupled to the housing to enclose the inner region and a socket being provided within the cavity structure. The apparatus has an electrodeless plasma lamp coupled to the socket. In a specific embodiment, the apparatus has an RF power source provided between the socket and an AC power source. In a specific embodiment, the RF power source is configured to generate a frequency of about 1 GHz and less to cause a fill material in the plasma lamp to discharge. In a specific embodiment, the apparatus has a heat sink provided form one or more portions of the housing. In a specific embodiment, the one or more portions of the housing is thermally coupled to the RF power source.Type: GrantFiled: June 11, 2010Date of Patent: September 4, 2012Assignee: Topanga Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Erik H. M. Lundin, Frederick M. Espiau, Mehran Matloubian
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Patent number: 8258687Abstract: The present invention relates to a coaxial waveguide electrodeless lamp. The lamp is formed in analogy to coaxial waveguide cables, with an outer conductor, a central conductor, and a gas-fill vessel made of dielectric material between the outer conductor and the inner conductor. The gas-fill vessel is substantially hollow and filled with substances that form a plasma and emit light when RF radiation carried by the central conductor and ground conductor interacts with the substances in the gas-fill vessel. The present invention also relates to a leaky waveguide electrodeless lamp. The lamp is formed in analogy to leaky waveguides, with a conductor, a ground conductor, and a gas-fill vessel made of dielectric material butted against the conductor and encompassed by the ground conductor. The leaky waveguide electrodeless lamp emits light from a plasma similar to light-emission action of the coaxial waveguide electrodeless lamp described above.Type: GrantFiled: March 28, 2007Date of Patent: September 4, 2012Assignee: Topanga Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Frederick M. Espiau, Mehran Matloubian, Alexandre Dupuy
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Patent number: 8203272Abstract: A dielectric waveguide integrated plasma lamp (DWIPL) with a body comprising at least one dielectric material having a dielectric constant greater than approximately 2, and having a shape and dimensions such that the body resonates in at least one resonant mode when microwave energy of an appropriate frequency is coupled into the body. A dielectric bulb within a lamp chamber in the body contains a fill which when receiving energy from the resonating body forms a light-emitting plasma. The bulb is transparent to visible light and infrared radiation emitted by the plasma. Radiative energy lost from the plasma is recycled by reflecting the radiation from thin-film, multi-layer coatings on bulb exterior surfaces and/or lamp chamber surfaces back into the bulb.Type: GrantFiled: March 16, 2011Date of Patent: June 19, 2012Assignee: Luxim CorporationInventors: Yian Chang, Frederick M. Espiau
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Patent number: 8179047Abstract: A plasma electrodeless lamp comprises a substantially hollow metallic body, closely receiving two coupling elements, the first coupling element connected to the output of an RF amplifier, and the second coupling element connected to the input of an RF amplifier. The first coupling element is conductively connected (grounded) to metallic lamp body at its top surface, while the second coupling element is not. The lamp further comprises a vertical metallic post, the post being grounded to the metallic lamp body at the post's bottom surface. The lamp further comprises a dielectric sleeve which closely receives the metallic post, and which is in turn closely supported by the lamp body or alternatively or in combination a tuning stub. The lamp further comprises a bulb that is closely received by the metallic post, and that encloses a gas-fill which forms a radiant plasma when excited.Type: GrantFiled: November 23, 2009Date of Patent: May 15, 2012Assignee: Topanga Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Frederick M. Espiau, Mehran Matloubian, Timothy J. Brockett
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Patent number: 8125153Abstract: A plasma lamp including a waveguide body comprising at least one dielectric material. The body is coupled to a microwave power source which causes the body to resonate in at least one resonant mode. A lamp chamber integrated with the body contains a bulb with a fill forming a light-emitting plasma when the chamber receives power from the resonating body. A bulb either is self-enclosed or an envelope sealed by a window or lens covering the chamber aperture. Embodiments disclosed include lamps having a drive probe and a feedback probe, and lamps having a drive probe, feedback probe and start probe, which minimize power reflected from the body back to the source.Type: GrantFiled: February 25, 2009Date of Patent: February 28, 2012Assignee: Luxim CorporationInventors: Frederick M. Espiau, Yian Chang
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Patent number: 8110988Abstract: A dielectric waveguide integrated plasma lamp is disclosed for powering a small and bright bulb with a diameter of a few millimeters. The lamp is contained within a high dielectric constant material which guides the microwaves to the bulb, provides heat isolation to the drive circuit, contains the microwaves, provides structural stability and ease of manufacturing and allows efficient energy coupling to the bulb when used as a dielectric resonant oscillator.Type: GrantFiled: February 15, 2011Date of Patent: February 7, 2012Assignee: Luxim CorporationInventors: Frederick M. Espiau, Chandrashekhar J. Joshi, Yian Chang
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Publication number: 20120014118Abstract: A method and system for replacing an electrodeless plasma lamp from a resonator assembly. The system includes a base support and a post member. The base support is coupled to the resonator assembly. The post member supports the bulb and is coupled to the base support through a mating region.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 4, 2010Publication date: January 19, 2012Applicant: Topanga Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Frederick M. Espiau, Timothy J. Brockett, Mehran Matloubian
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Publication number: 20120014109Abstract: A shock resistant outdoor lamp. The lamp has a housing having an inner region and an outer region. The lamp also has a reflector provided within a portion of the inner region. The lamp has a bulb assembly coupled to an rf power source coupled to an AC source. The bulb assembly has a base member, including an outer region capable of being coupled to first AC potential and an inner region capable of being coupled to a second AC potential. The bulb assembly also has a support body coupled to the base member. A shock resistant gas filled vessel is included. The vessel has a transparent or translucent body having an inner surface and an outer surface and a cavity formed within the inner surface. The gas filled vessel comprises a first end region and a second end region. The bulb assembly has a length provided between the first end region and the second end region. The bulb assembly has a length provided between nth first end region and the second end region and ranging from about 0.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 9, 2010Publication date: January 19, 2012Applicant: Topanga Technologies, Inc.Inventor: FREDERICK M. ESPIAU
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Publication number: 20110298354Abstract: In an example embodiment, an electrodeless plasma lamp is provided which comprises a dielectric body having an effective dielectric constant greater than two. The dielectric body may have a surface with a first region coated with an electrically conductive material and a second region that is not coated with the electrically conductive material. A bulb is located proximate to the second region of the dielectric body and having an outer surface area and the second region may have an uncoated surface area that is less than about sixty percent (60%) of the outer surface area of the bulb. A power source is coupled to the dielectric body to provide radio frequency power to the dielectric body at a frequency that resonates at a fundamental mode in the dielectric body. The bulb contains a fill that forms a plasma when the radio frequency power is provided from the dielectric body through the second region.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 16, 2011Publication date: December 8, 2011Applicant: Luxim CorporationInventors: Frederick M. Espiau, Yian Chang, Frederick M. Espiau, Marc DeVincentis
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Patent number: 8022607Abstract: In an example embodiment, an electrodeless plasma lamp is, provided which comprises a dielectric body having an effective dielectric constant greater than two. The dielectric body may have a surface with a first region coated with an electrically conductive material and a second region that is not coated with the electrically conductive material. A bulb is located proximate to the second region of the dielectric body and having an outer surface area and the second region may have an uncoated surface area that is less than about sixty percent (60%) of the outer surface area of the bulb. A power source is coupled to the dielectric body to provide radio frequency power to the dielectric body at a frequency that resonates at a fundamental mode in the dielectric body. The bulb contains a fill that forms a plasma when the radio frequency power is provided from the dielectric body through the second region.Type: GrantFiled: October 27, 2006Date of Patent: September 20, 2011Assignee: Luxim CorporationInventors: Yian Chang, Frederick M. Espiau, legal representative, Marc DeVincentis
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Publication number: 20110221341Abstract: A dielectric waveguide integrated plasma lamp is disclosed for powering a small and bright bulb with a diameter of a few millimeters. The lamp is contained within a high dielectric constant material which guides the microwaves to the bulb, provides heat isolation to the drive circuit, contains the microwaves, provides structural stability and ease of manufacturing and allows efficient energy coupling to the bulb when used as a dielectric resonant oscillator.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 15, 2011Publication date: September 15, 2011Applicant: Luxim CorporationInventors: Frederick M. Espiau, Chandrashekhar J. Joshi, Yian Chang
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Publication number: 20110221342Abstract: A dielectric waveguide integrated plasma lamp (DWIPL) with a body comprising at least one dielectric material having a dielectric constant greater than approximately 2, and having a shape and dimensions such that the body resonates in at least one resonant mode when microwave energy of an appropriate frequency is coupled into the body. A dielectric bulb within a lamp chamber in the body contains a fill which when receiving energy from the resonating body forms a light-emitting plasma. The bulb is transparent to visible light and infrared radiation emitted by the plasma. Radiative energy lost from the plasma is recycled by reflecting the radiation from thin-film, multi-layer coatings on bulb exterior surfaces and/or lamp chamber surfaces back into the bulb.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 16, 2011Publication date: September 15, 2011Applicant: Luxim CorporationInventors: Yian Chang, Frederick M. Espiau
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Publication number: 20110221340Abstract: In an example embodiment, an electrodeless plasma lamp is provided which comprises a lamp body comprising a dielectric material having a relative permittivity greater than 2, and a bulb adjacent to the lamp body, the bulb containing a fill that forms a plasma when RF power is coupled to the fill from the lamp body. An RF feed is coupled to the lamp body and a radio frequency (RF) power source for coupling power into the lamp body through the RF feed is provided. A shortest distance between an end of the bulb and a point on the RF feed traverses at least one electrically conductive material of the lamp body.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 14, 2011Publication date: September 15, 2011Applicant: Luxim CorporationInventors: Marc DeVincentis, Frederick M. Espiau, Yian Chang
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Publication number: 20110204808Abstract: A plasma lamp. The lamp includes a housing having a spatial volume defined within the housing. In a specific embodiment, the spatial volume has an inner region and an outer region. The lamp also has a support region coupled to the inner region of the spatial volume and a support body having an outer surface region slidably inserted and disposed within or partially disposed the support region. In a preferred embodiment, the support body has a support length, a support first end, and a support second end. The plasma lamp has a gas-filled vessel coupled to the support first end of the support body. In a preferred embodiment, the gas filled vessel has a transparent or translucent body, an inner surface and an outer surface, a cavity formed within the inner surface. In a preferred embodiment, the cavity is sealed and includes a fill material, which is capable of discharge. The lamp has an rf source operably coupled to at least the first end of the gas-filled vessel.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 9, 2010Publication date: August 25, 2011Applicant: Topanga Technologies, Inc.Inventor: FREDERICK M. ESPIAU
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Publication number: 20110204782Abstract: A plasma lamp includes a waveguide body which has at least one solid dielectric material. The body has a diameter and a length transverse to the diameter, with the diameter of the body being less than the length of the body. The lamp also has a power source configured to provide power to the body at a resonant frequency. The waveguide body has an effective length of at least portions of the diameter and the length.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 11, 2010Publication date: August 25, 2011Applicant: Topanga Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Frederick M. Espiau, Mehran Matloubian
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Publication number: 20110204784Abstract: A plasma lamp apparatus that includes an improved bulb support assembly to increase the lumens per watt output of the apparatus. The bulb support assembly includes a support structure that forms a cavity for receiving the bulb. The bulb is supported within the cavity though a protrusion that extends out from the support structure in a curved manner. By created a curved protrusion, the electric field within the resonating structure of the lamp apparatus is lowered. Lowering the electric field leads to lower resonating frequencies of the resonating structure. In lowering the resonating frequency, the resonating structure is driven to resonate at lower power levels, thereby increasing the lumens per watt output of the lamp apparatus.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 28, 2010Publication date: August 25, 2011Applicant: Topanga Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Frederick M. Espiau, Mehran Matloubian
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Publication number: 20110205746Abstract: A street lamp apparatus. The apparatus has a housing having an inner region and an outer region. In a specific embodiment, the inner region forms a cavity structure. The apparatus also has a transparent cover coupled to the housing to enclose the inner region and a socket being provided within the cavity structure. The apparatus has an electrodeless plasma lamp coupled to the socket. In a specific embodiment, the apparatus has an RF power source provided between the socket and an AC power source. In a specific embodiment, the RF power source is configured to generate a frequency of about 1 GHz and less to cause a fill material in the plasma lamp to discharge. In a specific embodiment, the apparatus has a heat sink provided form one or more portions of the housing. In a specific embodiment, the one or more portions of the housing is thermally coupled to the RF power source.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 11, 2010Publication date: August 25, 2011Applicant: Topanga Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Erik H. M. Lundin, Frederick M. Espiau, Mehran Matloubian
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Patent number: D653362Type: GrantFiled: January 26, 2009Date of Patent: January 31, 2012Assignee: Topanga Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Frederick M. Espiau, Mehran Matloubian
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Patent number: D653363Type: GrantFiled: March 9, 2009Date of Patent: January 31, 2012Assignee: Topanga Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Frederick M. Espiau, Mehran Matloubian
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Patent number: D665932Type: GrantFiled: December 22, 2011Date of Patent: August 21, 2012Assignee: Topanga Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Frederick M. Espiau, Mehran Matloubian