Patents by Inventor Joel S. Spira

Joel S. Spira 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).

  • Hybrid light source
    Patent number: 8008866
    Abstract: A hybrid light source comprises a high-efficiency lamp, for example, a fluorescent lamp, and a low-efficiency lamp, for example, a halogen lamp. A control circuit individually controls the amount of power delivered to each of the high-efficiency lamp and the low-efficiency lamp, such that a total light output of the hybrid light source ranges throughout a dimming range from a minimum total intensity to a maximum total intensity. The high-efficiency lamp is turned off and the low-efficiency lamp produces all of the total light intensity of the hybrid light source when the total light intensity is below a transition intensity. The low-efficiency lamp is controlled such that the correlated color temperature of the hybrid light source decreases as the total light intensity is decreased below the transition intensity. The hybrid light source is characterized by a low impedance throughout the dimming range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2011
    Assignee: Lutron Electronics Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Robert C. Newman, Jr., Keith Joseph Corrigan, Aaron Dobbins, Mehmet Ozbek, Mark S. Taipale, Joel S. Spira
  • Load Control Device Having A Visual Indication of Energy Savings and Usage Information
    Publication number: 20110162946
    Abstract: A dimmer switch for controlling the amount of power delivered to and thus the intensity of a lighting load comprises a visual display operable to provide a visual indication representative of energy savings and usage information. The dimmer switch comprises an intensity adjustment actuator, such as a slider knob or a rotary knob, which may be coupled to a potentiometer for adjusting the amount of power delivered to the lighting load. The potentiometer may comprise a dual potentiometer including a resistive element and a conductive element having a cut. The visual display may comprise a single visual indicator, which may be illuminated a first color, such as green, when the intensity of the lighting load is less than or equal to the eco-level intensity, and illuminated a second different color, such as red, when the intensity of the lighting load is greater than the eco-level intensity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 23, 2010
    Publication date: July 7, 2011
    Applicant: LUTRON ELECTRONICS CO., INC.
    Inventors: Gregory Altonen, Elliot G. Jacoby, Christopher James Salvestrini, Jamie J. Steffie, Joel S. Spira
  • Load Control System Having An Energy Savings Mode
    Publication number: 20110031806
    Abstract: A load control system for a building having a lighting load, a window, and a heating and cooling system comprises a lighting control device for controlling the amount of power delivered to the lighting load, a daylight control device, such as a motorized window treatment, for adjusting the amount of natural light to be admitted through a window, and a temperature control device for controlling a setpoint temperature of the heating and cooling system to thus control a present temperature in the building. The load control system may also comprise a controllable electrical receptacle for turning on and off a plug-in electrical load connected thereto. The lighting control device, the daylight control device, the temperature control device, and the controllable receptacle are controlled so as to decrease a total power consumption of the load control system in response to a received demand response command.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 28, 2010
    Publication date: February 10, 2011
    Applicant: LUTRON ELECTRONICS CO., INC.
    Inventors: Gregory Altonen, William Bryce Fricke, Elliot G. Jacoby, Michael W. Pessina, Walter S. Zaharchuk, Joel S. Spira
  • Load Control System Having An Energy Savings Mode
    Publication number: 20110035061
    Abstract: A load control system for a building having a heating and cooling system and a window located in a space of the building is operable to control a motorized window treatment in response to a demand response command in order to attempt to reduce the power consumption of the heating and cooling system. When the window may be receiving direct sunlight, the motorized window treatment closes a fabric covering the window when the heating and cooling system is cooling the building, and opens the fabric when the heating and cooling system is heating the building. In addition, when the space is unoccupied and the heating and cooling system is heating the building, the motorized window treatment may open the fabric if the window may be receiving direct sunlight, and may close the fabric if the window may not be receiving direct sunlight.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 28, 2010
    Publication date: February 10, 2011
    Applicant: LUTRON ELECTRONICS CO., INC.
    Inventors: Gregory Altonen, William Bryce Fricke, Elliot G. Jacoby, Michael W. Pessina, Walter S. Zaharchuk, Joel S. Spira
  • Load Control System Having An Energy Savings Mode
    Publication number: 20110029136
    Abstract: A load control system for a building having a heating and cooling system and a window located in a space of the building uses a daylighting procedure to adjust the amount of power delivered to the lighting load in response to the amount of daylight entering the window, and controls amount of daylight entering the window in order to attempt to reduce the power consumption of the heating and cooling system if the daylighting procedure is not causing the heating and cooling system to save energy. If the lighting load is consuming more energy when the fabric of the motorized window treatment is at a position above the fully-closed position than the lighting load would consume if the fabric was at the fully-closed position, the motorized window treatment moves the fabric to the fully-closed position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 28, 2010
    Publication date: February 3, 2011
    Applicant: LUTRON ELECTRONICS CO., INC.
    Inventors: Gregory Altonen, William Bryce Fricke, Elliot G. Jacoby, Michael W. Pessina, Walter S. Zaharchuk, Joel S. Spira
  • Load control system having an energy savings mode
    Publication number: 20110029139
    Abstract: A load control system for a building having a heating and cooling system and a window located in a space of the building controls amount of daylight entering the window in order to attempt to reduce the power consumption of the heating and cooling system, and adjusts amount of daylight entering the window if the heating and cooling system is not saving energy. A motorized window treatment of the load control system is operable to move a fabric covering the window in a first direction, and a temperature control device is operable to subsequently determine if the heating and cooling system is consuming more energy than when the fabric was in the initial position. The motorized window treatment then moves the fabric in a second direction opposite the first direction if the heating and cooling system is consuming more energy than when the fabric was in the initial position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 28, 2010
    Publication date: February 3, 2011
    Applicant: LUTRON ELECTRONICS CO., INC.
    Inventors: Gregory Altonen, William Bryce Fricke, Elliot G. Jacoby, Michael W. Pessina, Walter S. Zaharchuk, Joel S. Spira
  • Lighting control keypad
    Patent number: D633448
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2011
    Assignee: Lutron Electronics Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Ethan Charles Biery, Elliot G. Jacoby, Logan John Mackay, Noel Mayo, Joel S. Spira
  • Load control device
    Patent number: D636347
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2011
    Assignee: Lutron Electronics Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Edward M. Felegy, Jr., Gregory M. Snyder, Gregory Altonen, Elliot G. Jacoby, Noel Mayo, Joel S. Spira
  • Dimmer switch
    Patent number: D636348
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2011
    Assignee: Lutron Electronics Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Frederick J. Lind, III, Gregory Altonen, Elliot G. Jacoby, Noel Mayo, Joel S. Spira
  • Dimmer switch
    Patent number: D636349
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2011
    Assignee: Lutron Electronics Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Frederick J. Lind, III, Gregory Altonen, Elliot G. Jacoby, Noel Mayo, Joel S. Spira
  • Remote control keypad
    Patent number: D638375
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2011
    Assignee: Lutron Electronics Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Erica L. Clymer, Edward M. Felegy, Jr., Gregory M. Snyder, Gregory Altonen, Elliot G. Jacoby, Joel S. Spira
  • Remote control keypad
    Patent number: D638805
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2011
    Assignee: Lutron Electronics Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Erica L. Clymer, Elliot G. Jacoby, Joel S. Spira
  • Tabletop remote load control device
    Patent number: D640209
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2011
    Assignee: Lutron Electronics Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Edward M. Felegy, Jr., David William Petrillo, Gregory M. Snyder, Gregory Altonen, Elliot G. Jacoby, Noel Mayo, Joel S. Spira
  • Dynamic keypad for controlling electrical loads
    Patent number: D640992
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2011
    Assignee: Lutron Electronics Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Lauren B. Margolin, Jason C. Killo, Gregory Altonen, Elliot G. Jacoby, Joel S. Spira
  • Dynamic keypad for controlling electrical loads
    Patent number: D645001
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2011
    Assignee: Lutron Electronics Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Lauren B. Margolin, Jennifer S. Wilkinson, Jason C. Killo, Gregory Altonen, Elliot G. Jacoby, Joel S. Spira
  • Dimmer switch
    Patent number: D645411
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2011
    Assignee: Lutron Electronics Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Frederick J. Lind, III, Gregory Altonen, Elliot G. Jacoby, Noel Mayo, Joel S. Spira
  • Dimmer switch
    Patent number: D645412
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2011
    Assignee: Lutron Electronics Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Frederick J. Lind, III, Gregory Altonen, Elliot G. Jacoby, Noel Mayo, Joel S. Spira
  • Dimmer switch
    Patent number: D645413
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2011
    Assignee: Lutron Electronics Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Frederick J. Lind, III, Gregory Altonen, Elliot G. Jacoby, Noel Mayo, Joel S. Spira
  • Remote control
    Patent number: D646232
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2011
    Assignee: Lutron Electronics Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Edward M. Felegy, Jr., Gregory M. Snyder, Gregory Altonen, Elliot G. Jacoby, Noel Mayo, Joel S. Spira
  • Dimmer switch
    Patent number: D647064
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2011
    Assignee: Lutron Electronics Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Frederick J. Lind, III, Gregory Altonen, Elliot G. Jacoby, Noel Mayo, Joel S. Spira