Patents by Inventor Louis Lerman

Louis Lerman 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: 20200194620
    Abstract: A solid state light sheet and method of fabricating the sheet are disclosed. In one embodiment, bare LED chips have top and bottom electrodes, where the bottom electrode is a large reflective electrode. The bottom electrodes of an array of LEDs (e.g., 500 LEDs) are bonded to an array of electrodes formed on a flexible bottom substrate. Conductive traces are formed on the bottom substrate connected to the electrodes. A transparent top substrate is then formed over the bottom substrate. Various ways to connect the LEDs in series are described along with many embodiments. In one method, the top substrate contains a conductor pattern that connects to LED electrodes and conductors on the bottom substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2020
    Publication date: June 18, 2020
    Inventors: Louis Lerman, Allan Brent York, Michael David Henry, Robert V. Steele, Brian D. Ogonowsky
  • Patent number: 10634288
    Abstract: In one embodiment, an LED lamp has a generally bulb shape. The LEDs are low power types and are encapsulated in thin, narrow, flexible strips. The LEDs are connected in series in the strips to drop a desired voltage. The strips are affixed to the outer surface of a bulb form to provide structure to the lamp. The strips are connected in parallel to a power supply, which may be housed in the lamp. Since many low power LEDs are used and are spread out over a large surface area, there is no need for a large metal heat sink. Further, the light emission is similar to that of an incandescent bulb. In other embodiment, there is no bulb form and the strips are bendable to have a variety of shapes. In another embodiment, a light sheet is bent to provide 360 degrees of light emission. Many other embodiments are described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2020
    Assignee: Quarkstar LLC
    Inventors: Robert V. Steele, Louis Lerman, Allan Brent York, Wilson Dau, Jacqueline Teng, George Lerman
  • Patent number: 10634287
    Abstract: In one embodiment, an LED lamp has a generally bulb shape. The LEDs are low power types and are encapsulated in thin, narrow, flexible strips. The LEDs are connected in series in the strips to drop a desired voltage. The strips are affixed to the outer surface of a bulb form to provide structure to the lamp. The strips are connected in parallel to a power supply, which may be housed in the lamp. Since many low power LEDs are used and are spread out over a large surface area, there is no need for a large metal heat sink. Further, the light emission is similar to that of an incandescent bulb. In other embodiment, there is no bulb form and the strips are bendable to have a variety of shapes. In another embodiment, a light sheet is bent to provide 360 degrees of light emission. Many other embodiments are described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2020
    Assignee: Quarkstar LLC
    Inventors: Robert V. Steele, Louis Lerman, Allan Brent York, Wilson Dau, Jacqueline Teng, George Lerman
  • Publication number: 20200096176
    Abstract: A variety of light-emitting devices are disclosed that are configured to output light provided by a light-emitting element (LEE). In general, embodiments of the light-emitting devices feature two or more light-emitting elements, a scattering element that is spaced apart from the light-emitting elements, an extractor element coupled to the scattering element, and a reflective element that is configured and arranged to reflect light emitted from the light-emitting elements.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 29, 2019
    Publication date: March 26, 2020
    Inventors: Allan Brent York, Roland H. Haitz, Louis Lerman
  • Publication number: 20200072423
    Abstract: In one embodiment, an LED lamp has a generally bulb shape. The LEDs are low power types and are encapsulated in thin, narrow, flexible strips. The LEDs are connected in series in the strips to drop a desired voltage. The strips are affixed to the outer surface of a bulb form to provide structure to the lamp. The strips are connected in parallel to a power supply, which may be housed in the lamp. Since many low power LEDs are used and are spread out over a large surface area, there is no need for a large metal heat sink. Further, the light emission is similar to that of an incandescent bulb. In other embodiment, there is no bulb form and the strips are bendable to have a variety of shapes. In another embodiment, a light sheet is bent to provide 360 degrees of light emission. Many other embodiments are described.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 10, 2019
    Publication date: March 5, 2020
    Inventors: Robert V. Steele, Louis Lerman, Allan Brent York, Wilson Dau, Jacqueline Teng, George Lerman
  • Publication number: 20200056749
    Abstract: In one embodiment, an LED lamp has a generally bulb shape. The LEDs are low power types and are encapsulated in thin, narrow, flexible strips. The LEDs are connected in series in the strips to drop a desired voltage. The strips are affixed to the outer surface of a bulb form to provide structure to the lamp. The strips are connected in parallel to a power supply, which may be housed in the lamp. Since many low power LEDs are used and are spread out over a large surface area, there is no need for a large metal heat sink. Further, the light emission is similar to that of an incandescent bulb. In other embodiment, there is no bulb form and the strips are bendable to have a variety of shapes. In another embodiment, a light sheet is bent to provide 360 degrees of light emission. Many other embodiments are described.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 23, 2019
    Publication date: February 20, 2020
    Inventors: Robert V. Steele, Louis Lerman, Allan Brent York, Wilson Dau, Jacqueline Teng, George Lerman
  • Publication number: 20200037412
    Abstract: A system includes two or more phosphor-containing white LEDs (or other color-shifting artificial light sources) selected so that their combined color shift over at least 8,000 hours (e.g., at least 10,000 hours, at least 20,000 hours, at least 30,000 hours, at least 40,000 hours, up to 200,000 hours, up to 100,000 hours, up to 80,000 hours) of operation is less than at least one of the LED's (or the other color-shifting artificial light source's) color shift over that time. Here, the combined color shift (??v?) over the at least 8,000 hours (e.g., at least 10,000 hours, at least 20,000 hours, at least 30,000 hours, at least 40,000 hours, up to 200,000 hours, up to 100,000 hours, up to 80,000 hours) of operation can be less than 0.007 (e.g., 0.006 or less, 0.005 or less, 0.004 or less, 0.003 or less, 0.002 or less, 0.001 or less, 0.0005 or less).
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2018
    Publication date: January 30, 2020
    Inventors: Eric Bretschneider, Louis Lerman, Hans Peter Stormberg
  • Patent number: 10520663
    Abstract: Illumination systems are described for illuminating a target area, e.g., a floor of a room, using active illumination devices in optical communication with passive illumination devices. The active and passive illumination devices of the illumination system are configured and arranged relative to each other in a variety of ways so a variety of intensity distributions can be provided by the illumination system. Such illumination system is implemented to provide light for particular lighting applications, including office lighting, garage lighting, or cabinet lighting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2019
    Assignee: Quarkstar LLC
    Inventors: Hans Peter Stormberg, Louis Lerman, Robert C. Gardner, Ingo Speier, Allan Brent York
  • Publication number: 20190383986
    Abstract: A luminaire includes (i) light-emitting elements (LEEs), (ii) couplers to receive light from the LEEs and to redirect the received light, and (iii) a light guide including input and output ends and a pair of opposing surfaces both extending along an axis of the light guide. The light guide receives light from the couplers at the input end and guides light along the axis to the output end. The luminaire includes (iv) a diffuser adjacent the light guide to diffuse at least a portion of the light output by the light guide, and (v) a reflector to receive the light emitted from the output end of the light guide, such that light output by the light guide without impinging on the diffuser impinges on only one of the surfaces of the reflector. When operated, the luminaire outputs light within first and second output angular ranges.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2018
    Publication date: December 19, 2019
    Inventor: Louis Lerman
  • Publication number: 20190377121
    Abstract: A solid-state luminaire module includes one or more light-emitting elements (LEEs) arranged to provide light; and a light guide including a receiving end arranged to receive the light provided by the LEEs and an opposing end, a pair of opposing side surfaces extending along a length of the light guide to guide the received light in a forward direction to the opposing end, and a redirecting end-face located at the opposing end and configured to reflect the guided light—that reaches the opposing end—back into the light guide as return light, such that substantially all the return light impinges on the pair of opposing side surfaces at incident angles larger than a critical incidence angle and transmits through the pair of opposing side surfaces into the ambient as output light of the luminaire module, the output light to propagate in backward directions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2018
    Publication date: December 12, 2019
    Inventors: Louis Lerman, Ferdinand Schinagl, Allan Brent York
  • Patent number: 10495807
    Abstract: An illumination device includes light-emitting elements (LEEs); a light guide extending in a forward direction from a first end to a second end, the light guide being positioned to receive at the first end light emitted by the LEEs and to guide the received light to the second end; and an optical extractor coupled to the second end to receive the guided light. The optical extractor is formed from a transparent, solid material and includes a first output surface including a transmissive portion arranged and shaped to transmit a first portion of the guided light to the ambient in a forward angular range and a reflective portion arranged and shaped to reflect via TIR all the guided light incident on the reflective portion; and a second output surface arranged to transmit, to the ambient in a backward angular range, light reflected by the reflective portion of the first output surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2019
    Assignee: Quarkstar LLC
    Inventors: Allan Brent York, Ferdinand Schinagl, Wilson Dau, Louis Lerman, Hans Peter Stormberg
  • Publication number: 20190346084
    Abstract: In one embodiment, an LED lamp has a generally bulb shape. The LEDs are low power types and are encapsulated in thin, narrow, flexible strips. The LEDs are connected in series in the strips to drop a desired voltage. The strips are affixed to the outer surface of a bulb form to provide structure to the lamp. The strips are connected in parallel to a power supply, which may be housed in the lamp. Since many low power LEDs are used and are spread out over a large surface area, there is no need for a large metal heat sink. Further, the light emission is similar to that of an incandescent bulb. In other embodiment, there is no bulb form and the strips are bendable to have a variety of shapes. In another embodiment, a light sheet is bent to provide 360 degrees of light emission. Many other embodiments are described.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 29, 2019
    Publication date: November 14, 2019
    Inventors: Robert V. Steele, Louis Lerman, Allan Brent York, Wilson Dau, Jacqueline Teng, George Lerman
  • Publication number: 20190346085
    Abstract: In one embodiment, an LED lamp has a generally bulb shape. The LEDs are low power types and are encapsulated in thin, narrow, flexible strips. The LEDs are connected in series in the strips to drop a desired voltage. The strips are affixed to the outer surface of a bulb form to provide structure to the lamp. The strips are connected in parallel to a power supply, which may be housed in the lamp. Since many low power LEDs are used and are spread out over a large surface area, there is no need for a large metal heat sink. Further, the light emission is similar to that of an incandescent bulb. In other embodiment, there is no bulb form and the strips are bendable to have a variety of shapes. In another embodiment, a light sheet is bent to provide 360 degrees of light emission. Many other embodiments are described.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 29, 2019
    Publication date: November 14, 2019
    Inventors: Robert V. Steele, Louis Lerman, Allan Brent York, Wilson Dau, Jacqueline Teng, George Lerman
  • Patent number: 10473292
    Abstract: A luminaire module delivers light with a beam angle of ?. The luminaire module includes a light emitting module and a reflector positioned symmetrically about an axis. Light produced by the light emitting module exits the light emitting module from one or more spatially-extended light emitting portions. The light emitting portion(s) is (are) fully contained within a spatially extended notional design envelope which is used to guide the design of reflector and its corresponding reflective surface, such that when any light exiting the light emitting portions through the design envelope strikes the reflective surface of the reflector, the light does not return to the source and escapes from the luminaire module within a beam angle ?, with no more than a single reflection from a reflector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2019
    Assignee: Quarkstar LLC
    Inventors: George E. Smith, Robert C. Gardner, Roland H. Haitz, Louis Lerman
  • Publication number: 20190324185
    Abstract: Illumination systems are described for illuminating a target area, e.g., a floor of a room, using active illumination devices in optical communication with passive illumination devices. The active and passive illumination devices of the illumination system are configured and arranged relative to each other in a variety of ways so a variety of intensity distributions can be provided by the illumination system. Such illumination system is implemented to provide light for particular lighting applications, including office lighting, garage lighting, or cabinet lighting.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 16, 2018
    Publication date: October 24, 2019
    Inventors: Hans Peter Stormberg, Louis Lerman, Robert C. Gardner, Ingo Speier, Allan Brent York
  • Patent number: 10451250
    Abstract: A variety of light-emitting devices for general illumination utilizing solid state light sources (e.g., light emitting diodes) are disclosed. In general, the devices include a scattering element in combination with an extractor element. The scattering element, which may include elastic and/or inelastic scattering centers, is spaced apart from the light source element. Opposite sides of the scattering element have asymmetric optical interfaces, there being a larger refractive index mismatch at the interface facing the light emitting element than the interface between the scattering element and the extractor element. Such a structure favors forward scattering of light from the scattering element. In other words, the system favors scattering out of the scattering element into the extractor element over backscattering light towards the light source element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2019
    Assignee: Quickstar LLC
    Inventors: Roland H. Haitz, George E. Smith, Robert C. Gardner, Louis Lerman
  • Publication number: 20190316754
    Abstract: A solid state, bidirectional light sheet and method of fabricating the sheet are disclosed. In one embodiment, bare LED chips have top and bottom electrodes, where the bottom electrode is a large reflective electrode. An array of LEDs (e.g., 500 LEDs) is sandwiched between at least two transparent substrates having conductors bonded to the electrodes without wires. Various ways to connect the LEDs in series are described along with various embodiments. The light sheets are formed to emit light from opposite surfaces of the light sheet to create a bidirectional light sheet. The light sheet may be suspended from a ceiling to be perpendicular to the ceiling, or the angles of the light sheet may be adjusted. The suspended light sheet may form a cylinder for uniform illumination of the floor and ceiling. Lenses may be formed in the light sheet to emit light at any peak intensity angle to achieve any light emission pattern.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 16, 2018
    Publication date: October 17, 2019
    Inventors: Wilson Dau, Louis Lerman, Allan Brent York
  • Publication number: 20190317268
    Abstract: An illumination device includes a plurality of light-emitting elements (LEEs); a light guide extending in a forward direction from a first end to a second end to receive at the first end light emitted by the LEEs and to guide the received light to the second end; an optical extractor optically coupled to the second end to receive the guided light, the optical extractor including a redirecting surface to reflect a first portion of the guided light, the reflected light being output by the optical extractor in a backward angular range, and the redirecting surface having one or more transmissive portions to transmit a second portion of the guided light in the forward direction; and one or more optical elements optically coupled to the transmissive portions, the optical elements to modify the light transmitted through the transmissive portions and to output the modified light in a forward angular range.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 8, 2018
    Publication date: October 17, 2019
    Inventors: Allan Brent York, Hans Peter Stormberg, Louis Lerman, Ferdinand Schinagl, Wilson Dau
  • Publication number: 20190309931
    Abstract: Illumination devices with adjustable optical elements configured to provide a variable illumination pattern of an area are described. The adjustable optical elements of the illumination devices can be traversed relative to a surface (e.g., a ceiling of a room) to vary the light distribution and/or intensity to the surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 9, 2018
    Publication date: October 10, 2019
    Inventors: Andrew Tien-Man Ng, Ingo Speier, Wilson Dau, Louis Lerman, Hans Peter Stormberg
  • Patent number: 10408428
    Abstract: A variety of light-emitting devices for general illumination utilizing solid state light sources (e.g., light emitting diodes) are disclosed. In general, the devices include a scattering element in combination with an extractor element. The scattering element, which may include elastic and/or inelastic scattering centers, is spaced apart from the light source element. Opposite sides of the scattering element have asymmetric optical interfaces, there being a larger refractive index mismatch at the interface facing the light emitting element than the interface between the scattering element and the extractor element. Such a structure favors forward scattering of light from the scattering element. In other words, the system favors scattering out of the scattering element into the extractor element over backscattering light towards the light source element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2019
    Assignee: Quarkstar LLC
    Inventors: Roland H. Haitz, George E. Smith, Robert C. Gardner, Louis Lerman