Patents by Inventor Mark A. Benning

Mark A. Benning 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: 20260025888
    Abstract: A load control device may include first, second, and third drive circuits for controlling respective ones of the emitter circuits, and may generate first, second, and third drive signals for controlling each of the first, second, and third drive circuits, respectively, to adjust a present color of the cumulative light emitted by the emitter circuits towards a target color. The control circuit may be configured to pulse-width modulate the first, second, and third drive signals on a periodic basis at an operating period, where each period comprises at least three time slots. The control circuit may be configured to determine first, second, and third on times of the first, second, and third drive signals of the first, second, and third pulses, respectively, based on the target color.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 18, 2025
    Publication date: January 22, 2026
    Applicant: Lutron Technology Company LLC
    Inventors: Mark A. Benning, Ryan M. Bocock, Venkatesh Chitta, Jaxon S. Coward, Mark Eiding, Mark Ryan Lopez, Harsh Hitesh Mehta, Jaykrishna A. Shukla, David L. Wykes, JR., John F. Yamrick
  • Publication number: 20240373529
    Abstract: A load control device coupled between an AC power source and an electrical load may operate in a three-wire mode or a two-wire mode based on whether the load control device is connected to a neutral side of the AC power source. The load control device may further comprise first and second zero-cross detect circuits to be respectively used in the two-wire mode or the three-wire mode, and a neutral wire detect circuit configured to generate a neutral-wire detect signal indicating whether the load control device is connected to the neutral side of the AC power source. A control circuit of the load control device may determine whether the load control device should operate in the two-wire mode or in the three-wire mode in response to the neutral-wire detect signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 19, 2024
    Publication date: November 7, 2024
    Applicant: Lutron Technology Company LLC
    Inventors: Mark A. Benning, Thomas W. Brenner, Quinn Brogan, Donald F. Hausman, JR., Peter MacLellan, Matthew Kyle Olsen, Matthew Pennock
  • Patent number: 12075535
    Abstract: A load control device coupled between an AC power source and an electrical load may operate in a three-wire mode or a two-wire mode based on whether the load control device is connected to a neutral side of the AC power source. The load control device may further comprise first and second zero-cross detect circuits to be respectively used in the two-wire mode or the three-wire mode, and a neutral wire detect circuit configured to generate a neutral-wire detect signal indicating whether the load control device is connected to the neutral side of the AC power source. A control circuit of the load control device may determine whether the load control device should operate in the two-wire mode or in the three-wire mode in response to the neutral-wire detect signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2023
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2024
    Assignee: Lutron Technology Company LLC
    Inventors: Mark A. Benning, Thomas W. Brenner, Quinn Brogan, Donald F. Hausman, Jr., Peter MacLellan, Matthew Kyle Olsen, Matthew Pennock
  • Publication number: 20230232515
    Abstract: A load control device coupled between an AC power source and an electrical load may operate in a three-wire mode or a two-wire mode based on whether the load control device is connected to a neutral side of the AC power source. The load control device may further comprise first and second zero-cross detect circuits to be respectively used in the two-wire mode or the three-wire mode, and a neutral wire detect circuit configured to generate a neutral-wire detect signal indicating whether the load control device is connected to the neutral side of the AC power source. A control circuit of the load control device may determine whether the load control device should operate in the two-wire mode or in the three-wire mode in response to the neutral-wire detect signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 20, 2023
    Publication date: July 20, 2023
    Applicant: Lutron Technology Company LLC
    Inventors: Mark A. Benning, Thomas W. Brenner, Quinn Brogan, Donald F. Hausman, JR., Peter MacLellan, Matthew Kyle Olsen, Matthew Pennock
  • Patent number: 11641704
    Abstract: A load control device coupled between an AC power source and an electrical load may operate in a three-wire mode or a two-wire mode based on whether the load control device is connected to a neutral side of the AC power source. The load control device may further comprise first and second zero-cross detect circuits to be respectively used in the two-wire mode or the three-wire mode, and a neutral wire detect circuit configured to generate a neutral-wire detect signal indicating whether the load control device is connected to the neutral side of the AC power source. A control circuit of the load control device may determine whether the load control device should operate in the two-wire mode or in the three-wire mode in response to the neutral-wire detect signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2023
    Assignee: Lutron Technology Company LLC
    Inventors: Mark A. Benning, Thomas W. Brenner, Quinn Brogan, Donald F. Hausman, Jr., Peter MacLellan, Matthew Kyle Olsen, Matthew Pennock
  • Publication number: 20210212181
    Abstract: A load control device coupled between an AC power source and an electrical load may operate in a three-wire mode or a two-wire mode based on whether the load control device is connected to a neutral side of the AC power source. The load control device may further comprise first and second zero-cross detect circuits to be respectively used in the two-wire mode or the three-wire mode, and a neutral wire detect circuit configured to generate a neutral-wire detect signal indicating whether the load control device is connected to the neutral side of the AC power source. A control circuit of the load control device may determine whether the load control device should operate in the two-wire mode or in the three-wire mode in response to the neutral-wire detect signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2021
    Publication date: July 8, 2021
    Applicant: Lutron Technology Company LLC
    Inventors: Mark A. Benning, Thomas W. Brenner, Quinn Brogan, Donald F. Hausman, JR., Peter MacLellan, Matthew Kyle Olsen, Matthew Pennock
  • Patent number: 10959307
    Abstract: A load control device coupled between an AC power source and an electrical load may operate in a three-wire mode or a two-wire mode based on whether the load control device is connected to a neutral side of the AC power source. The load control device may further comprise first and second zero-cross detect circuits to be respectively used in the two-wire mode or the three-wire mode, and a neutral wire detect circuit configured to generate a neutral wire detect signal indicating whether the load control device is connected to the neutral side of the AC power source. A control circuit of the load control device may determine whether the load control device should operate in the two-wire mode or in the three-wire mode in response to the neutral wire detect signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignee: Lutron Technology Company LLC
    Inventors: Mark A. Benning, Thomas W. Brenner, Quinn Brogan, Donald F. Hausman, Jr., Peter MacLellan, Matthew Kyle Olsen, Matthew Pennock
  • Publication number: 20200178372
    Abstract: A load control device coupled between an AC power source and an electrical load may operate in a three-wire mode or a two-wire mode based on whether the load control device is connected to a neutral side of the AC power source. The load control device may further comprise first and second zero-cross detect circuits to be respectively used in the two-wire mode or the three-wire mode, and a neutral wire detect circuit configured to generate a neutral-wire detect signal indicating whether the load control device is connected to the neutral side of the AC power source. A control circuit of the load control device may determine whether the load control device should operate in the two-wire mode or in the three-wire mode in response to the neutral-wire detect signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 26, 2019
    Publication date: June 4, 2020
    Applicant: Lutron Technology Company LLC
    Inventors: Mark A. Benning, Thomas W. Brenner, Quinn Brogan, Donald F. Hausman, JR., Peter MacLellan, Matthew Kyle Olsen, Matthew Pennock