Patents by Inventor Liqin Ni

Liqin Ni 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).

  • Patent number: 11178740
    Abstract: A lighting apparatus includes a string of light emitting diode (LED) sets coupled in series where each set includes at least one LED. A current diversion circuit is coupled to the string and is configured to operate responsive to a bias state transition of one of the LED sets to direct current away from another one of the LED sets. A current limiting circuit is coupled in series with the string and is configured to conduct current responsive to a forward biasing of all of the LED sets. The current limiting circuit includes only passive electrical component(s).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: Ideal Industries Lighting LLC
    Inventors: Antony P. van de Ven, Liqin Ni
  • Publication number: 20200344861
    Abstract: Systems and methods for a current sharing driver for light emitting diodes are disclosed. One disclosed system includes: a first string of LEDs; a second string of LEDs connected in parallel with the first string; a first current control device connected in series with the first string of LEDs; a second current control device connected in series with the second string of LEDs; a first voltage measurement device coupled to the first string of LEDs and the second string of LEDs, the first voltage measurement circuit coupled to the first current control device and configured to control the first current control device; and a second voltage measurement device coupled to the first string of LEDs and the second string of LEDs, the second voltage measurement circuit coupled to the second current control device and configured to control the second current control device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 10, 2020
    Publication date: October 29, 2020
    Inventors: Yuequan Hu, Liqin Ni
  • Patent number: 10743384
    Abstract: Systems and methods for a current sharing driver for light emitting diodes are disclosed. One disclosed system includes: a first string of LEDs; a second string of LEDs connected in parallel with the first string; a first current control device connected in series with the first string of LEDs; a second current control device connected in series with the second string of LEDs; a first voltage measurement device coupled to the first string of LEDs and the second string of LEDs, the first voltage measurement circuit coupled to the first current control device and configured to control the first current control device; and a second voltage measurement device coupled to the first string of LEDs and the second string of LEDs, the second voltage measurement circuit coupled to the second current control device and configured to control the second current control device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: Ideal Industries Lighting LLC
    Inventors: Yuequan Hu, Liqin Ni
  • Publication number: 20190157978
    Abstract: A converter includes first and second phase circuits. Each of the first second phase circuits includes a transformer, a first switch and a second switch connected in series, and a resonant capacitor and a resonant inductor connected in series between the primary winding of the transformer and a node between the first switch and the second switch. The input voltage terminal of the converter is connected in parallel with the input of the first phase circuit and the input of the second phase circuit. The output voltage terminal of the converter is connected in series with the output of the first phase circuit and the output of the second phase circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 27, 2017
    Publication date: May 23, 2019
    Inventor: Liqin NI
  • Patent number: 10045418
    Abstract: Systems and methods for a high output, high color quality light are disclosed. In some embodiments, such a light may include a light fixture including one or more LEDs configured to output a cumulative light output; wherein the cumulative light output comprises an intensity of greater than or equal to 10,000 lumens; and wherein the cumulative light output comprises a CRI of at least 90.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2018
    Assignee: Cree, Inc.
    Inventors: Brian Kinnune, David Goelz, James Lay, Don Miletich, Alan Ruud, Kurt Wilcox, Yuequan Hu, Liqin Ni, Nicholas William Medendorp, Jr., Boris Karpichev
  • Publication number: 20170150570
    Abstract: Systems and methods for a high output, high color quality light are disclosed. In some embodiments, such a light may include a light fixture including one or more LEDs configured to output a cumulative light output; wherein the cumulative light output comprises an intensity of greater than or equal to 10,000 lumens; and wherein the cumulative light output comprises a CRI of at least 90.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 1, 2017
    Publication date: May 25, 2017
    Applicant: Cree, Inc.
    Inventors: Brian Kinnune, David Goelz, James Lay, Don Miletich, Alan Ruud, Kurt Wilcox, Yuequan Hu, Liqin Ni, Nicholas William Medendorp, JR., Boris Karpichev
  • Patent number: 9593837
    Abstract: Systems and methods for a high output, high color quality light are disclosed. In some embodiments, such a light may include a light fixture including one or more LEDs configured to output a cumulative light output; wherein the cumulative light output comprises an intensity of greater than or equal to 10,000 lumens; and wherein the cumulative light output comprises a CRI of at least 90.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2017
    Assignee: Cree, Inc.
    Inventors: Kurt Wilcox, Brian Kinnune, Nicholas William Medendorp, Jr., Yuequan Hu, David Goelz, James Lay, Don Miletich, Alan Ruud, Liqin Ni, Boris Karpichev
  • Patent number: 9510413
    Abstract: A solid state lighting apparatus can include a substrate having first and second opposing surfaces, where at least one of the opposing surfaces is configured to mount devices thereon. A string of chip-on-board light emitting diode (LED) sets, can be on the first surface of the substrate and coupled in series with one another. An ac voltage source input, from outside the solid state lighting apparatus, can be coupled to the first or second surface of the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2016
    Assignee: Cree, Inc.
    Inventors: Praneet Jayant Athalye, Liqin Ni, Antony P. van de Ven, Robert D. Underwood
  • Patent number: 9374858
    Abstract: An apparatus includes at least one LED, at least one charge storage device and a switching circuit configured to route current through the least one LED to the at least one charge storage device for a first state of an applied voltage and to discharge the at least one charge storage device via the at least one LED for a second state of the applied voltage. The apparatus may further include a current control circuit coupled in series with the at least one LED.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: Cree, Inc.
    Inventor: Liqin Ni
  • Patent number: 9277605
    Abstract: A lighting apparatus includes a string of light emitting diode (LED) sets coupled in series, each set including at least one LED. The apparatus further includes a plurality of current diversion circuits, respective ones of which are coupled to respective nodes of the string and configured to operate responsive to bias state transitions of respective ones of the LED sets. In some embodiments, a first one of the current diversion circuits is configured to conduct current via a first one of the LED sets and is configured to be turned off responsive to current through a second one of the LED sets. The first one of the current diversion circuits may be configured to conduct current responsive to a forward biasing of the first one of the LED sets and the second one of the current diversion circuit may be configured to conduct current responsive to a forward biasing of a second one of the LED sets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2016
    Assignee: Cree, Inc.
    Inventor: Liqin Ni
  • Patent number: 9203307
    Abstract: A power conversion circuit includes a voltage boost circuit configured to generate an output voltage in response to an input voltage, a boost controller configured to control operation of the voltage boost circuit, and a bias voltage generation circuit configured to generate a bias voltage. The bias generation circuit is configured to regulate a level of the bias voltage in response to a level of the input voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2015
    Assignee: Cree, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Walters, Liqin Ni
  • Patent number: 9179512
    Abstract: A solid state lighting apparatus can include a Light Emitting Diode (LED) string that includes a plurality of light emitting diode (LED) segments that are coupled in series with one another wherein a ratio of respective numbers of LEDs in each of the segments is about equal to a ratio of respective average powers for each of the respective segments. Other configurations are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2015
    Assignee: Cree, Inc.
    Inventor: Liqin Ni
  • Patent number: 9131571
    Abstract: A lighting apparatus includes a rectifier circuit configured to be coupled to an AC source and to produce a rectified voltage from an AC voltage and a string including at least two serially-connected LED segments and coupled to the rectifier circuit. A segment control circuit is configured to selectively bypass at least one segment of the string responsive to the rectified voltage. An energy storage circuit is coupled to the rectifier circuit and controls current flow between at least one energy storage device and the string. A control circuit controls the segment control circuit and the energy storage circuit. The segment control circuit may support a current from the rectifier circuit through all of the segments in the string circuit at a peak of the rectified voltage and the energy storage circuit may charge the at least one energy storage device to a voltage near the peak of the rectified voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2015
    Assignee: Cree, Inc.
    Inventors: Jun Zhang, Liqin Ni
  • Publication number: 20150137689
    Abstract: Systems and methods for a current sharing driver for light emitting diodes are disclosed. One disclosed system includes: a first string of LEDs; a second string of LEDs connected in parallel with the first string; a first current control device connected in series with the first string of LEDs; a second current control device connected in series with the second string of LEDs; a first voltage measurement device coupled to the first string of LEDs and the second string of LEDs, the first voltage measurement circuit coupled to the first current control device and configured to control the first current control device; and a second voltage measurement device coupled to the first string of LEDs and the second string of LEDs, the second voltage measurement circuit coupled to the second current control device and configured to control the second current control device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 18, 2013
    Publication date: May 21, 2015
    Applicant: CREE, INC.
    Inventors: Yuequan Hu, Liqin Ni
  • Patent number: 8823271
    Abstract: A lighting apparatus includes a string of Light Emitting Diode (LED) sets coupled in series, each set including at least one LED, a light spreading circuit configured to incrementally turn on respective ones of the LED sets responsive to a power signal, and an energy storage module that is configured to store energy during a first interval of a period of the power signal and to apply the stored energy to the string during a second interval of the period of the power signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: Cree, Inc.
    Inventors: Antony P. van de Ven, Liqin Ni
  • Publication number: 20140125229
    Abstract: A solid state lighting apparatus can include a Light Emitting Diode (LED) string that includes a plurality of light emitting diode (LED) segments that are coupled in series with one another wherein a ratio of respective numbers of LEDs in each of the segments is about equal to a ratio of respective average powers for each of the respective segments. Other configurations are also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 8, 2012
    Publication date: May 8, 2014
    Applicant: Cree, Inc.
    Inventor: Liqin Ni
  • Publication number: 20140119077
    Abstract: A power conversion circuit includes a voltage boost circuit configured to generate an output voltage in response to an input voltage, a boost controller configured to control operation of the voltage boost circuit, and a bias voltage generation circuit configured to generate a bias voltage. The bias generation circuit is configured to regulate a level of the bias voltage in response to a level of the input voltage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2012
    Publication date: May 1, 2014
    Applicant: Cree, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Walters, Liqin Ni
  • Publication number: 20140077709
    Abstract: A lighting apparatus includes a rectifier circuit configured to be coupled to an AC source and to produce a rectified voltage from an AC voltage and a string including at least two serially-connected LED segments and coupled to the rectifier circuit. A segment control circuit is configured to selectively bypass at least one segment of the string responsive to the rectified voltage. An energy storage circuit is coupled to the rectifier circuit and controls current flow between at least one energy storage device and the string. A control circuit controls the segment control circuit and the energy storage circuit. The segment control circuit may support a current from the rectifier circuit through all of the segments in the string circuit at a peak of the rectified voltage and the energy storage circuit may charge the at least one energy storage device to a voltage near the peak of the rectified voltage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Publication date: March 20, 2014
    Inventors: Jun Zhang, Liqin Ni
  • Patent number: D708155
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2014
    Assignee: Cree, Inc.
    Inventors: Praneet Jayant Athalye, Liqin Ni, Robert D. Underwood
  • Patent number: RE49637
    Abstract: Systems and methods for a high output, high color quality light are disclosed. In some embodiments, such a light may include a light fixture including one or more LEDs configured to output a cumulative light output; wherein the cumulative light output comprises an intensity of greater than or equal to 10,000 lumens; and wherein the cumulative light output comprises a CRI of at least 90.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: IDEAL Industries Lighting LLC
    Inventors: Brian Kinnune, David Goelz, Don Miletich, Alan Ruud, Kurt Wilcox, Yuequan Hu, Liqin Ni, Nicholas William Medendorp, Jr., Boris Karpichev