Patents by Inventor Richard STELZER

Richard STELZER 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: 20240149564
    Abstract: A method for controlling a glazing unit having electrically controllable optical properties, wherein the glazing unit includes a composite pane having an outer pane and an inner pane which are connected to one another via a thermoplastic intermediate layer, a functional element is arranged between the outer pane and the inner pane and has an active layer having electrically controllable optical properties between a first planar electrode and a second planar electrode, the optical properties are controlled by a control unit, wherein the control unit is connected to at least two transparent planar electrodes of the functional element, an electrical voltage is applied between the planar electrodes by the control unit, and an inverse function is used to determine a magnitude of the electrical voltage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 13, 2022
    Publication date: May 9, 2024
    Inventors: Richard STELZER, Bastian KLAUSS, Doane Shelby CRAIG
  • Publication number: 20240151100
    Abstract: A method for electrical control of a functional element incorporated in a glazing unit and having electrically controllable optical properties. The glazing unit includes a composite pane having an outer pane and an inner pane which are connected to one another via a thermoplastic intermediate layer, a functional element is arranged between the outer pane and the inner pane and has an active layer having electrically controllable optical properties between a first planar electrode and a second planar electrode, the optical properties are controlled by a control unit connected to at least two transparent planar electrodes of the functional element, and an electrical voltage is applied between the planar electrodes by the control unit. An inverse function is used to determine a magnitude of the electrical voltage, and also as a temperature-dependent linearization function and a temperature of the functional element or composite pane is detected by a temperature sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 13, 2022
    Publication date: May 9, 2024
    Inventors: Richard STELZER, Bastian KLAUSS, Doane Shelby CRAIG
  • Publication number: 20240116276
    Abstract: A glazing unit having electrically controllable optical properties and multiple independent switching regions includes a composite pane with an electrically controllable functional element and a control unit to control the optical properties of the functional element. The functional element has an active layer having electrically controllable optical properties between a first flat electrode and a second flat electrode. The first flat electrode is divided by at least one insulation line into at least two separate electrode segments, wherein an electric voltage is applicable between each electrode segment of the first flat electrode and the second flat electrode independently of one another in order to control the optical properties of the section of the active layer situated therebetween. The second flat electrode is not segmented or is segmented to a lesser extent than the first flat electrode. The control unit is adapted to ascertain the temperature of the composite pane.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 2, 2022
    Publication date: April 11, 2024
    Inventor: Richard STELZER
  • Publication number: 20240103321
    Abstract: A glazing unit with electrically controllable optical properties having multiple independent switching regions includes a laminated glass pane with an electrically controllable functional element and a control unit to control the optical properties of the functional element. The functional element has an active layer with electrically controllable optical properties between a first planar electrode and a second planar electrode. The first planar electrode is subdivided by at least one insulation line into at least two separate electrode segments, wherein a voltage is applicable independently between each electrode segment of the first planar electrode and the second planar electrode in order to control the optical properties of the section of the active layer located between them. The control unit is adapted to apply an AC voltage between at least two electrode segments of the first planar electrode and the second planar electrode, wherein the AC voltages are phase-shifted.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 29, 2022
    Publication date: March 28, 2024
    Inventor: Richard STELZER
  • Patent number: 11886060
    Abstract: A method for electrically controlling at least one functional element having electrically controllable optical properties, wherein the optical properties are controlled by a control unit, wherein the control unit is connected to at least two transparent flat electrodes of the functional element, and an electrical voltage is applied between the flat electrodes by the control unit, wherein the electrical voltage has a periodic signal profile with a first, variably adjustable frequency and the glazing unit is surrounded by light beams of a second frequency, and wherein the light beams are sensed by a sensor unit and the first frequency is changed as a function of the second frequency, wherein the first frequency is synchronized with the second frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: SAINT-GOBAIN GLASS FRANCE
    Inventors: Richard Stelzer, Bastian Klauss, Michael Zeiss, Doane Shelby Craig
  • Publication number: 20230318481
    Abstract: A method for driving an electro-optical functional layer by a control, the functional layer being applied on a substrate and being variable in its transmissive and/or reflective properties by applying an electric field, the control unit having a supply voltage input and a feed output, and a voltage measuring system and an energy store, includes measuring a voltage actually available at the supply voltage input, if the available voltage is greater than a reference value, driving the functional layer with an AC voltage via the feed output, the energy store being charged at least in sections, if the available voltage is less than or equal to a reference value, driving the functional layer with a DC voltage via the feed output. At least part of the energy for the driving is drawn from the energy store. The DC voltage is less than the peak value of the AC voltage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 30, 2021
    Publication date: October 5, 2023
    Inventors: Richard STELZER, Bastian KLAUSS, Michael ZEISS, Doane Shelby CRAIG
  • Publication number: 20230229033
    Abstract: A method for electrically controlling at least one functional element having electrically controllable optical properties, wherein the optical properties are controlled by a control unit, wherein the control unit is connected to at least two transparent flat electrodes of the functional element, and an electrical voltage is applied between the flat electrodes by the control unit, wherein the electrical voltage has a periodic signal profile with a first, variably adjustable frequency and the glazing unit is surrounded by light beams of a second frequency, and wherein the light beams are sensed by a sensor unit and the first frequency is changed as a function of the second frequency, wherein the first frequency is synchronized with the second frequency.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2021
    Publication date: July 20, 2023
    Inventors: Richard STELZER, Bastian KLAUSS, Michael ZEISS, Doane Shelby CRAIG
  • Patent number: 11703383
    Abstract: A vehicle window with an anisotropic light sensor, has a first glass layer and a second glass layer, wherein an arrangement of light-sensitive elements is arranged, substantially parallel to the first glass layer, between the first glass layer and the second glass layer, wherein the pane furthermore has an aperture such that light can shine through the second glass layer and the aperture onto at least one of the light-sensitive elements, wherein, depending on the direction of incident light, the sensor provides a signal that is indicative of the direction, wherein the arrangement of light-sensitive elements has a camera chip and wherein the arrangement of light-sensitive elements is arranged on a flexible film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: SAINT-GOBAIN GLASS FRANCE
    Inventors: Christopher Matheisen, Gabor Varga, Richard Stelzer, Benjamin Kaplan
  • Publication number: 20230219325
    Abstract: A method for electrically controlling a functional element with electrically controllable optical properties enclosed in a glazing unit includes controlling the optical properties by a control unit connected to two transparent flat electrodes of the functional element, and applying a voltage by the control unit between the flat electrodes and the polarity of the voltage is periodically changed. The voltage has a trapezoidal profile and by the control unit an increasing electrical voltage is applied for charging the functional element, the electrical voltage increasing to a first peak value, the electrical voltage is reduced from the first peak value to a final voltage for discharging the functional element, the functional element is charged with the increasing electrical voltage with reversed polarity, wherein the electrical voltage increases to a second peak value, the electrical voltage is reduced from the second peak value to the final voltage for discharging the functional element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 27, 2021
    Publication date: July 13, 2023
    Inventors: Richard STELZER, Bastian KLAUSS, Michael ZEISS, Doane Shelby CRAIG
  • Publication number: 20220128398
    Abstract: A vehicle window with an anisotropic light sensor, has a first glass layer and a second glass layer, wherein an arrangement of light-sensitive elements is arranged, substantially parallel to the first glass layer, between the first glass layer and the second glass layer, wherein the pane furthermore has an aperture such that light can shine through the second glass layer and the aperture onto at least one of the light-sensitive elements, wherein, depending on the direction of incident light, the sensor provides a signal that is indicative of the direction, wherein the arrangement of light-sensitive elements has a camera chip and wherein the arrangement of light-sensitive elements is arranged on a flexible film.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 8, 2020
    Publication date: April 28, 2022
    Inventors: Christopher MATHEISEN, Gabor VARGA, Richard STELZER, Benjamin KAPLAN
  • Patent number: 10198696
    Abstract: An apparatus for use in adjusting a controllable system based on a user-communication input, such as non-detailed or indiscriminate input. The apparatus includes a processor and a computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations for determining an objective system command, corresponding to the user input, for use in adjusting the controllable system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2019
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Claudia V. Goldman-Shenhar, Asaf Degani, Omer Deutsch, Sean Richard Stelzer, Timothy J. Grost
  • Publication number: 20150220068
    Abstract: An apparatus for use in adjusting a controllable system based on a user-communication input, such as non-detailed or indiscriminate input. The apparatus includes a processor and a computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations for determining an objective system command, corresponding to the user input, for use in adjusting the controllable system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 2, 2015
    Publication date: August 6, 2015
    Inventors: CLAUDIA V. GOLDMAN-SHENHAR, ASAF DEGANI, OMER DEUTSCH, SEAN RICHARD STELZER, TIMOTHY J. GROST