Patents by Inventor Mark A. Muzzin

Mark A. Muzzin 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).

  • Lighting control interface
    Patent number: 6608617
    Abstract: A lighting control interface consisting of a touch pad matrix, a housing, different faceplates having unique graphical designs, and a control circuit. The touch pad matrix has a plurality of conductive touch pads. The faceplate has a plurality of faceplate areas which are used to designate various lighting commands and each faceplate can represent a unique collection of lighting control functions. The control circuit is electrically coupled to the touch pad matrix and is programmed to support the functionality represented by a particular faceplate design by ascribing the appropriate lighting control functions to the individual touch pads. The control circuit includes an oscillator which is coupled to each touch pad in turn and a microcontroller which monitors the frequency of the oscillating circuit when connected to the various touch pads. When a user places a finger on a touch pad, the frequency of the associated oscillations decreases and this decrease in frequency is detected by the microcontroller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2003
    Inventors: Marc O. Hoffknecht, Mark A. Muzzin
  • Lighting control interface
    Publication number: 20020067144
    Abstract: A lighting control interface consisting of a touch pad matrix, a housing, different faceplates having unique graphical designs, and a control circuit. The touch pad matrix has a plurality of conductive touch pads. The faceplate has a plurality of faceplate areas which are used to designate various lighting commands and each faceplate can represent a unique collection of lighting control functions. The control circuit is electrically coupled to the touch pad matrix and is programmed to support the functionality represented by a particular faceplate design by ascribing the appropriate lighting control functions to the individual touch pads. The control circuit includes an oscillator which is coupled to each touch pad in turn and a microcontroller which monitors the frequency of the oscillating circuit when connected to the various touch pads. When a user places a finger on a touch pad, the frequency of the associated oscillations decreases and this decrease in frequency is detected by the microcontroller.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 7, 2001
    Publication date: June 6, 2002
    Inventors: Marc O. Hoffknecht, Mark A. Muzzin