Patents by Inventor Michael Pavilonis

Michael Pavilonis 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: 10345563
    Abstract: The system captures and concentrates sunlight for transmission to interior spaces or to a PV system. A solar collector uses arrayed refractive lenses, opposing concave focusing mirrors, and a movable coupling sheet forming part of a lightguide. The lenses and mirrors have an asymmetric shape, such as having aspect ratios of 3:4 or 1:2, so as to have an asymmetric aperture to better receive light at the different ranges of angles of the sun's rays over the course of a year. The long axis of the apertures is generally oriented in an East-West. The movable sheet contains small angled mirrors, and the sheet is translated to position the angled mirrors at the focal points of the sunlight for maximum deflection of the sunlight to an output of the collection system. A position sensor provides feedback regarding the position of the angled mirrors relative to the focal points.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2019
    Assignee: Glint Photonics, Inc.
    Inventors: Peter Kozodoy, Christopher Gladden, Michael Pavilonis, Christopher Rhodes, Victor Chub
  • Patent number: 10304983
    Abstract: The system captures and concentrates sunlight for transmission to interior spaces or to a PV system. A solar collector uses arrayed refractive lenses and opposing concave focusing mirrors and a movable coupling sheet forming part of a lightguide. The transparent sheet contains small angled mirrors, where each angled mirror corresponds to a particular set of the lenses/focusing mirrors and is in the focal plane. The lightguide also includes a fluid surrounding the transparent sheet, and lower index cladding layers sandwich the fluid. The sheet is translated within the fluid by an actuator to position the angled mirrors at the focal points of the sunlight for maximum deflection of the sunlight to an edge of the lightguide for extraction to a light transmission system or to a PV system. A position sensor on the sheet provides feedback regarding the position of the angled mirrors relative to the focal points.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2019
    Assignee: Glint Photonics, Inc.
    Inventors: Peter Kozodoy, Christopher Gladden, Michael Pavilonis, Christopher Rhodes
  • Publication number: 20180164561
    Abstract: The system captures and concentrates sunlight for transmission to interior spaces or to a PV system. A solar collector uses arrayed refractive lenses, opposing concave focusing mirrors, and a movable coupling sheet forming part of a lightguide. The lenses and mirrors have an asymmetric shape, such as having aspect ratios of 3:4 or 1:2, so as to have an asymmetric aperture to better receive light at the different ranges of angles of the sun's rays over the course of a year. The long axis of the apertures is generally oriented in an East-West. The movable sheet contains small angled mirrors, and the sheet is translated to position the angled mirrors at the focal points of the sunlight for maximum deflection of the sunlight to an output of the collection system. A position sensor provides feedback regarding the position of the angled mirrors relative to the focal points.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2018
    Publication date: June 14, 2018
    Inventors: Peter Kozodoy, Christopher Gladden, Michael Pavilonis, Christopher Rhodes, Victor Chub
  • Publication number: 20170115473
    Abstract: The system captures and concentrates sunlight for transmission to interior spaces or to a PV system. A solar collector uses arrayed refractive lenses and opposing concave focusing mirrors and a movable coupling sheet forming part of a lightguide. The transparent sheet contains small angled mirrors, where each angled mirror corresponds to a particular set of the lenses/focusing mirrors and is in the focal plane. The lightguide also includes a fluid surrounding the transparent sheet, and lower index cladding layers sandwich the fluid. The sheet is translated within the fluid by an actuator to position the angled mirrors at the focal points of the sunlight for maximum deflection of the sunlight to an edge of the lightguide for extraction to a light transmission system or to a PV system. A position sensor on the sheet provides feedback regarding the position of the angled mirrors relative to the focal points.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 25, 2016
    Publication date: April 27, 2017
    Inventors: Peter Kozodoy, Christopher Gladden, Michael Pavilonis, Christopher Rhodes