Patents by Inventor Michael Weirich

Michael Weirich 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: 11785687
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a controller (such as associated with a power converter). The controller is operative to receive input control settings. Based on the input control settings, the controller controls a magnitude of an output current generated by the power converter. The output current from the power converter powers light emitting hardware. The controller transitions between operating the power converter in an asynchronous mode and a synchronous mode to produce the output current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2023
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventors: Alexey Evstifeev, Tiam Poh Lau, Michael Weirich
  • Publication number: 20230068030
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a controller (such as associated with a power converter). The controller is operative to receive input control settings. Based on the input control settings, the controller controls a magnitude of an output current generated by the power converter. The output current from the power converter powers light emitting hardware. The controller transitions between operating the power converter in an asynchronous mode and a synchronous mode to produce the output current.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 26, 2021
    Publication date: March 2, 2023
    Inventors: Alexey EVSTIFEEV, Tiam Poh Lau, Michael Weirich
  • Patent number: 7525259
    Abstract: According to an embodiment, a power supply system has a primary side and a secondary side. An input terminal on the primary side is operable to receive an input voltage. An output terminal on the secondary side is operable to be connected to a load for providing current thereto. Circuitry is provided which is operable to regulate the power supply system from the primary side so that the current provided to the load at the output terminal is substantially constant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2009
    Assignee: Fairchild Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventor: Michael Weirich
  • Publication number: 20070182387
    Abstract: According to an embodiment, a power supply system has a primary side and a secondary side. An input terminal on the primary side is operable to receive an input voltage. An output terminal on the secondary side is operable to be connected to a load for providing current thereto. Circuitry is provided which is operable to regulate the power supply system from the primary side so that the current provided to the load at the output terminal is substantially constant.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 7, 2006
    Publication date: August 9, 2007
    Inventor: Michael Weirich
  • Patent number: 6914394
    Abstract: The invention relates to a supply circuit for a load, and in particular to an electronic ballast for a lamp having such a supply circuit. In order to drive a switching transistor T1 of the supply circuit, a forcing circuit ZS is used which is supplied by the supply circuit. At the start of operation, an oscillation of an oscillator circuit OS, which can preferably serve as an amplifier for the forcing circuit ZS in the continuous operating mode, is used for driving.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2005
    Assignee: Patent Treuhand Gesellschaft fur elektrische Gluhlampen mbH
    Inventor: Michael Weirich
  • Patent number: 6753659
    Abstract: An operating circuit for a discharge lamp (LP) having preheatable electrodes includes a device (C14, T11, T12, T13, G) for preheating the electrodes. The device includes a resonant circuit (C14, T11) which oscillates during preheating. During operation, the operating circuit produces an AC voltage having a frequency that is moved through a frequency range, records the response of the resonant circuit (C14, T11) by measuring an electrical variable (UC14), and identifies the resonant frequency of the resonant circuit (C14, T11) from the electrical variable (UC14), and preheats the electrodes by setting the frequency of the AC voltage to the resonant frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2004
    Assignee: Patent-Treuhand-Gesellschaft für elektrische Glühlampen mbH
    Inventors: Olaf Busse, Bernhard Schemmel, Michael Weirich
  • Patent number: 6741040
    Abstract: The invention relates to a novel operating device for lamps, in particular low-pressure gas discharge lamps, in which a SEPIC converter is used for charging a storage transistor from an AC voltage supply. In this case, the SEPIC converter is regulated to an output quantity as regulated variable, its operating frequency being altered. Preferably, only the switch-on time and not the switch-off time of the switching transistor of the SEPIC converter is altered in this case.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2004
    Assignee: Patent-Treuhand-Gesellschaft für elektrische Glühlampen mbH
    Inventor: Michael Weirich
  • Publication number: 20040051479
    Abstract: The invention relates to a supply circuit for a load, and in particular to an electronic ballast for a lamp having such a supply circuit. In order to drive a switching transistor T1 of the supply circuit, a forcing circuit ZS is used which is supplied by the supply circuit. At the start of operation, an oscillation of an oscillator circuit OS, which can preferably serve as an amplifier for the forcing circuit ZS in the continuous operating mode, is used for driving.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 26, 2003
    Publication date: March 18, 2004
    Applicant: PATENT-TREUHAND-GESELLSCHAFT FUR ELEKTRISCH GLUHLAMPEN MBH
    Inventor: Michael Weirich
  • Patent number: 6690122
    Abstract: An electronic ballast for lamps, which has an input stage that is designed as a SEPIC converter. By operating the SEPIC converter in the mode with a discontinuous current profile, a slow microcontroller can be used for the control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2004
    Assignee: Patent Treuhand Gesellschaft fur Elektrische Gluhlampen mbH
    Inventor: Michael Weirich
  • Patent number: 6657403
    Abstract: A method and circuit arrangement for operating a fluorescent lamp (LA), comprising a half-bridge arrangement (12) whose output signal can be fed to a load circuit (LK; 16), it being possible to connect a fluorescent lamp (LA) with filament electrodes (W1, W2) to the load circuit (LK; 16), a preheating device (L21, L22, CR) for preheating the filament electrodes (W1, W2) of the fluorescent lamp (LA), and a power determining device (20) for determining a preheating power value that represents a measure of the power that is converted in the filament electrodes (W1, W2) during preheating, wherein the power determining device (20) can be used to determine the power flowing into the load circuit (LK; 16) during preheating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2003
    Assignee: Patent Treuhand Gesellschaft fur Elektrische Gluhlampen mbH
    Inventors: Bernhard Schemmel, Michael Weirich
  • Publication number: 20030155872
    Abstract: The invention relates to a novel operating device for lamps, in particular low-pressure gas discharge lamps, in which a SEPIC converter is used for charging a storage transistor from an AC voltage supply. In this case, the SEPIC converter is regulated to an output quantity as regulated variable, its operating frequency being altered. Preferably, only the switch-on time and not the switch-off time of the switching transistor of the SEPIC converter is altered in this case.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 19, 2003
    Publication date: August 21, 2003
    Applicant: PATENT-TREUHAND-GESELLSCHAFT FUR ELEKTRISCH GLUHLAMPEN MBH
    Inventor: Michael Weirich
  • Publication number: 20030122499
    Abstract: The invention relates to an operating circuit for a low-pressure discharge lamp LP, in which the lamp electrodes can be preheated by means of a resonant circuit C14, T11. In order to determine the resonant frequency accurately and to establish the lamp type being used, a frequency range is moved through at the start of operation and the voltage is measured on a primary winding T11 of a preheating transformer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2002
    Publication date: July 3, 2003
    Applicant: PATENT-TREUHAND-GESELLSCHAFT FUR ELEKTRISCH GLUHLAMPEN MBH, Munchen, Germany
    Inventors: Olaf Busse, Bernhard Schemmel, Michael Weirich
  • Patent number: 6555970
    Abstract: An electronic ballast for discharge lamps with electrode filaments. The ballast contains a frequency-selective device, which suppresses an auxiliary heating current in the electrode filaments during operation of the lamp. Heating of the electrode filaments is possible only within a narrow frequency band.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2003
    Assignee: Patent-Treuhand-Gesellschaft fur Elektrische Glucklampen mbH
    Inventors: Bernhard Schemmel, Michael Weirich
  • Publication number: 20030011328
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a circuit arrangement for operating a fluorescent lamp (LA), comprising a half-bridge arrangement (12) whose output signal can be fed to a load circuit (LK; 16), it being possible to connect a fluorescent lamp (LA) with filament electrodes (W1, W2) to the load circuit (LK; 16), a preheating device (L21, L22, CR) for preheating the filament electrodes (W1, W2) of the fluorescent lamp (LA), and a power determining device (20) for determining a preheating power value that represents a measure of the power that is converted in the filament electrodes (W1, W2) during preheating, wherein the power determining device (20) can be used to determine the power flowing into the load circuit (LK; 16) during preheating.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 26, 2002
    Publication date: January 16, 2003
    Applicant: PATENT-TREUHAND-GESELLSCHAFT FUR ELEKTRISCHE GLUHLAMPEN MBH
    Inventors: Bernhard Schemmel, Michael Weirich
  • Publication number: 20020125807
    Abstract: An electronic ballast for discharge lamps with electrode filaments. The ballast contains a frequency-selective device, which suppresses an auxiliary heating current in the electrode filaments during operation of the lamp. Heating of the electrode filaments is possible only within a narrow frequency band.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 7, 2002
    Publication date: September 12, 2002
    Applicant: PATENT-TREUHAND-GESELLSCHAFT FUER ELEKTRISCHE GLUE
    Inventors: Bernhard Schemmel, Michael Weirich
  • Publication number: 20020097011
    Abstract: An electronic ballast for lamps, which has an input stage that is designed as a SEPIC converter. By operating the SEPIC converter in the mode with a discontinuous current profile, a slow microcontroller can be used for the control.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 8, 2002
    Publication date: July 25, 2002
    Applicant: Patent-Treuhand-Gesellschaft fuer elektrische Gleuhlampen mbH
    Inventor: Michael Weirich
  • Patent number: 6198231
    Abstract: The invention relates to a circuit arrangement for operating at least one discharge lamp (LP) on a half-bridge inverter (Q1, Q2), having at least one coupling capacitor (C3) and having a switch-off device (T1, A) which permanently switches off the half-bridge inverter (Q1, Q2) when the lamp (LP) refuses to start. According to the invention, the circuit arrangement has first and second devices (V1, V2) for monitoring the voltage drop across the at least one coupling capacitor (C3) and for activating the switch-off device (T1, A) as a function of the voltage drop detected across the at least one coupling capacitor (C3). If the voltage across the coupling capacitor (C3) deviates substantially from its normal value, for example owing to the occurrence or the rectifying effect at the end of the service life of the discharge lamp (LP), the half-bridge inverter (Q1, Q2) is shut down by the switch-off device (T1, A).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2001
    Assignee: Patent-Treuhand-Gesellschaft fuer elektrische Gluehlampen mbH
    Inventors: Bernhard Schemmel, Bernd Rudolph, Michael Weirich