Patents by Inventor Kurt Starkey

Kurt Starkey 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: 20180284337
    Abstract: A light guide includes opposed major surfaces and a light input edge extending therebetween. An array of micro-optical elements of well-defined shape at at least one of the opposed major surfaces corresponds to the light input edge. Each of the micro-optical elements in the array includes a longitudinal axis arranged within the range of angles relative to the light input edge. A path linearly extending along the light guide from the light input edge intersects at least a portion of the micro-optical elements in the array, at least one of the micro-optical elements along the path arranged with its longitudinal axis at a positive angle relative to the light input edge, and at least another one of the micro-optical elements along the path arranged with its longitudinal axis at a negative angle relative to the light input edge.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 23, 2018
    Publication date: October 4, 2018
    Inventors: Dane A. Sahlhoff, Greg Coghlan, Todd Winski, Kurt Starkey
  • Publication number: 20180164493
    Abstract: A light guide includes a first major surface, second major surface, and light input edge extending between the major surfaces, the major surfaces configured to propagate light input to the light guide therebetween by total internal reflection. Light extracting elements are at at least one of the major surfaces, at least one of the light extracting elements embodied as a cluster-shaped light extracting element and including an intersection portion and at least three members extending therefrom. Each member includes a first side surface and second side surface that come together to form a ridge or that are joined by a connecting surface, the ridge or connecting surface including a first end that intersects the major surface at which the micro-optical element is formed and extending to the intersection portion where the ridge or connecting surface intersects with one or more ridges or connecting surfaces of the other respective members.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 11, 2017
    Publication date: June 14, 2018
    Inventors: Kurt Starkey, Robert Ezell
  • Patent number: 9946007
    Abstract: A light guide includes opposed major surfaces and a light input edge extending therebetween. An array of micro-optical elements of well-defined shape at at least one of the opposed major surfaces corresponds to the light input edge. Each of the micro-optical elements in the array includes a longitudinal axis arranged within the range of angles relative to the light input edge. A path linearly extending along the light guide from the light input edge intersects at least a portion of the micro-optical elements in the array, at least one of the micro-optical elements along the path arranged with its longitudinal axis at a positive angle relative to the light input edge, and at least another one of the micro-optical elements along the path arranged with its longitudinal axis at a negative angle relative to the light input edge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2018
    Assignee: Rambus Delaware LLC
    Inventors: Dane A. Sahlhoff, Greg Coghlan, Todd Winski, Kurt Starkey
  • Publication number: 20170371089
    Abstract: A light guide includes opposed major surfaces and a light input edge extending therebetween. An array of micro-optical elements of well-defined shape at at least one of the opposed major surfaces corresponds to the light input edge. Each of the micro-optical elements in the array includes a longitudinal axis arranged within the range of angles relative to the light input edge. A path linearly extending along the light guide from the light input edge intersects at least a portion of the micro-optical elements in the array, at least one of the micro-optical elements along the path arranged with its longitudinal axis at a positive angle relative to the light input edge, and at least another one of the micro-optical elements along the path arranged with its longitudinal axis at a negative angle relative to the light input edge.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 12, 2017
    Publication date: December 28, 2017
    Inventors: Dane A. Sahlhoff, Greg Coghlan, Todd Winski, Kurt Starkey
  • Publication number: 20170299797
    Abstract: A lighting assembly includes a light guide having opposed major surfaces, a light input edge extending between the major surfaces and including first and second input regions, a first light guide region associated with the first input region and including first light extracting elements, and a second light guide region associated with the second input region and including second light extracting elements. A first light source segment is arranged to input light through the first input region and into the first light guide region, and a second light source segment is arranged to input light through the second input region and into the second light guide region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 17, 2017
    Publication date: October 19, 2017
    Inventors: Robert Ezell, Kurt Starkey
  • Patent number: 9703031
    Abstract: A light guide includes opposed major surfaces and a light input edge extending therebetween. An array of micro-optical elements of well-defined shape at at least one of the opposed major surfaces corresponds to the light input edge. Each of the micro-optical elements in the array includes a longitudinal axis arranged within the range of angles relative to the light input edge. A path linearly extending along the light guide from the light input edge intersects at least a portion of the micro-optical elements in the array, at least one of the micro-optical elements along the path arranged with its longitudinal axis at a positive angle relative to the light input edge, and at least another one of the micro-optical elements along the path arranged with its longitudinal axis at a negative angle relative to the light input edge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2017
    Assignee: Rambus Delaware LLC
    Inventors: Dane A. Sahlhoff, Greg Coghlan, Todd Winski, Kurt Starkey
  • Patent number: 9563006
    Abstract: A lighting assembly includes a light guide to propagate light by total internal reflection. A reflector adjacent the second major surface of the light guide includes a reflective surface to reflect extracted light back into the light guide. An anti-wetting component is interposed between the light guide and the reflector and includes opposed major surfaces. At least one of the major surfaces of the anti-wetting component has a high surface roughness. The anti-wetting component is configured to redirect light transmitted therethrough such that an intensity profile of the light output from the first major surface of the light guide is uniform among a first location where the anti-wetting component is in contact with the light guide and the reflector and a second location where the anti-wetting component is not in contact with at least one of the light guide and the reflector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2017
    Assignee: Rambus Delaware LLC
    Inventors: Kevin L. Ballard, Anthony Mazzola, Tyra S. Bulson, Kurt Starkey
  • Publication number: 20160245986
    Abstract: A light guide assembly includes light guide segments, each including opposed major surfaces and a light input edge extending in the thickness direction therebetween. One of the light guide segments includes a first side edge surface including one or more side edge surface sections, at least a portion thereof oriented non-parallel to the thickness direction. Another of the light guide segments includes a second side edge surface complimentary to the first side edge surface. The one of the light guide segments is arranged adjacent the another of the light guide segments and abuts the complimentary second side edge surface, the one of the light guide segments variably positionable relative to the another of the light guide segments about an axis parallel to the length direction. A lighting assembly includes the light guide assembly and a housing assembly having housing segments, each associated with one of the respective light guide segments.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 24, 2016
    Publication date: August 25, 2016
    Inventors: Martin Ligas, Kurt Starkey, Todd Winski, Robert Ezell
  • Publication number: 20150309241
    Abstract: A light guide includes opposed major surfaces and a light input edge extending therebetween. An array of micro-optical elements of well-defined shape at at least one of the opposed major surfaces corresponds to the light input edge. Each of the micro-optical elements in the array includes a longitudinal axis arranged within the range of angles relative to the light input edge. A path linearly extending along the light guide from the light input edge intersects at least a portion of the micro-optical elements in the array, at least one of the micro-optical elements along the path arranged with its longitudinal axis at a positive angle relative to the light input edge, and at least another one of the micro-optical elements along the path arranged with its longitudinal axis at a negative angle relative to the light input edge.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2014
    Publication date: October 29, 2015
    Inventors: Dane A. Sahlhoff, Greg Coghlan, Todd Winski, Kurt Starkey
  • Publication number: 20150309236
    Abstract: A light guide includes opposed major surfaces and a light input edge extending therebetween. An array of micro-optical elements of well-defined shape at at least one of the opposed major surfaces corresponds to the light input edge. Each of the micro-optical elements in the array includes a longitudinal axis arranged within the range of angles relative to the light input edge. A path linearly extending along the light guide from the light input edge intersects at least a portion of the micro-optical elements in the array, at least one of the micro-optical elements along the path arranged with its longitudinal axis at a positive angle relative to the light input edge, and at least another one of the micro-optical elements along the path arranged with its longitudinal axis at a negative angle relative to the light input edge.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 7, 2014
    Publication date: October 29, 2015
    Inventors: Dane A. Sahlhoff, Greg Coghlan, Todd Winski, Kurt Starkey
  • Publication number: 20150226902
    Abstract: A lighting assembly includes a light guide to propagate light by total internal reflection. A reflector adjacent the second major surface of the light guide includes a reflective surface to reflect extracted light back into the light guide. An anti-wetting component is interposed between the light guide and the reflector and includes opposed major surfaces. At least one of the major surfaces of the anti-wetting component has a high surface roughness. The anti-wetting component is configured to redirect light transmitted therethrough such that an intensity profile of the light output from the first major surface of the light guide is uniform among a first location where the anti-wetting component is in contact with the light guide and the reflector and a second location where the anti-wetting component is not in contact with at least one of the light guide and the reflector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 6, 2015
    Publication date: August 13, 2015
    Inventors: Kevin L. Ballard, Anthony Mazzola, Tyra S. Bulson, Kurt Starkey
  • Publication number: 20050024849
    Abstract: The methods involve using a tool to cut or form multiple optical element shaped cavities in a surface of a substrate without rotating the tool or substrate during the cutting or forming process. At least some of the cavities are cut or formed to have at least two surfaces that come together to form a ridge and that are quite small relative to the length and width of the substrate. Thereafter the substrate is used to form optical films, components or wave guides having multiple optical elements on at least one surface corresponding to the cavities in the substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 10, 2004
    Publication date: February 3, 2005
    Inventors: Jeffery Parker, Timothy McCollum, Robert Ezell, Kurt Starkey