Patents by Inventor Robert Bollinger, Jr.
Robert Bollinger, Jr. 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).
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Patent number: 10721805Abstract: A control module attached to a lighting fixture and having a front cover portion may comprise one or more sensors, such as a daylight and/or occupancy sensor, for sensing information through the front cover portion. The control module may have a main printed circuit board (PCB) that extends from a front side to a rear side of the control module, and a sensor PCB perpendicular to the main PCB to enable at least one sensor attached to the sensor PCB to face the front side of the control module. The main PCB may comprise a wireless communication circuit and an antenna for communicating radio frequency (RF) signals, wherein at least a portion of the antenna is located within a plastic lip of the front cover portion of the control module. The control module may further have a conductive enclosure to reduce radio-frequency interference noise from coupling into the antenna.Type: GrantFiled: August 26, 2019Date of Patent: July 21, 2020Assignee: Lutron Technology Company LLCInventors: Sean R. Pearson, Nicholas R. Baer, Angelo Caruso, Thomas E. Hibshman, Kevin L. Gascho, Robert Bollinger, Jr., Richard S. Camden
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Publication number: 20200119554Abstract: A controllable electrical outlet may comprise a resonant loop antenna. The resonant loop antenna may comprise a feed loop electrically coupled to a radio-frequency (RF) communication circuit and a main loop magnetically coupled to the feed loop. The controllable electrical outlet may comprise one or more electrical receptacles configured to receive a plug of a plug-in electrical load and may be configured to control power delivered to the plug-in electrical load in response to an RF signal received via the RF communication circuit. The RF performance of the controllable electrical outlet may be substantially immune to devices plugged into the receptacles (e.g., plugs, power supplies, etc.) due to the operation of the resonant loop antenna. For example, degradation of the RF performance of the controllable electrical outlet may be less when the controllable electrical outlet includes the resonant loop antenna rather than other types of antennas.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 13, 2019Publication date: April 16, 2020Applicant: Lutron Technology Company LLCInventors: Robert Bollinger, JR., Dragan Veskovic
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Patent number: 10535996Abstract: A controllable electrical outlet may comprise a resonant loop antenna. The resonant loop antenna may comprise a feed loop electrically coupled to a radio-frequency (RF) communication circuit and a main loop magnetically coupled to the feed loop. The controllable electrical outlet may comprise one or more electrical receptacles configured to receive a plug of a plug-in electrical load and may be configured to control power delivered to the plug-in electrical load in response to an RF signal received via the RF communication circuit. The RF performance of the controllable electrical outlet may be substantially immune to devices plugged into the receptacles (e.g., plugs, power supplies, etc.) due to the operation of the resonant loop antenna. For example, degradation of the RF performance of the controllable electrical outlet may be less when the controllable electrical outlet includes the resonant loop antenna rather than other types of antennas.Type: GrantFiled: April 25, 2017Date of Patent: January 14, 2020Assignee: Lutron Technology Company LLCInventors: Robert Bollinger, Jr., Dragan Veskovic
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Publication number: 20190387597Abstract: A control module attached to a lighting fixture and having a front cover portion may comprise one or more sensors, such as a daylight and/or occupancy sensor, for sensing information through the front cover portion. The control module may have a main printed circuit board (PCB) that extends from a front side to a rear side of the control module, and a sensor PCB perpendicular to the main PCB to enable at least one sensor attached to the sensor PCB to face the front side of the control module. The main PCB may comprise a wireless communication circuit and an antenna for communicating radio frequency (RF) signals, wherein at least a portion of the antenna is located within a plastic lip of the front cover portion of the control module. The control module may further have a conductive enclosure to reduce radio-frequency interference noise from coupling into the antenna.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 26, 2019Publication date: December 19, 2019Applicant: Lutron Technology Company LLCInventors: Sean R. Pearson, Nicholas R. Baer, Angelo Caruso, Thomas E. Hibshman, Kevin L. Gascho, Robert Bollinger, JR., Richard S. Camden
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Patent number: 10398007Abstract: A control module attached to a lighting fixture and having a front cover portion may comprise one or more sensors, such as a daylight and/or occupancy sensor, for sensing information through the front cover portion. The control module may have a main printed circuit board (PCB) that extends from a front side to a rear side of the control module, and a sensor PCB perpendicular to the main PCB to enable at least one sensor attached to the sensor PCB to face the front side of the control module. The main PCB may comprise a wireless communication circuit and an antenna for communicating radio frequency (RF) signals, wherein at least a portion of the antenna is located within a plastic lip of the front cover portion of the control module. The control module may further have a conductive enclosure to reduce radio-frequency interference noise from coupling into the antenna.Type: GrantFiled: May 3, 2018Date of Patent: August 27, 2019Assignee: Lutron Technology Company LLCInventors: Sean R. Pearson, Nicholas R. Baer, Angelo Caruso, Thomas E. Hibshman, Kevin L. Gascho, Robert Bollinger, Jr., Richard S. Camden
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Publication number: 20190141818Abstract: A control module attached to a lighting fixture and having a front cover portion may comprise one or more sensors, such as a daylight and/or occupancy sensor, for sensing information through the front cover portion. The control module may have a main printed circuit board (PCB) that extends from a front side to a rear side of the control module, and a sensor PCB perpendicular to the main PCB to enable at least one sensor attached to the sensor PCB to face the front side of the control module. The main PCB may comprise a wireless communication circuit and an antenna for communicating radio frequency (RF) signals, wherein at least a portion of the antenna is located within a plastic lip of the front cover portion of the control module. The control module may further have a conductive enclosure to reduce radio-frequency interference noise from coupling into the antenna.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 3, 2018Publication date: May 9, 2019Applicant: Lutron Electronics Co., Inc.Inventors: Sean R. Pearson, Nicholas R. Baer, Angelo Caruso, Thomas E. Hibshman, Kevin L. Gascho, Robert Bollinger, Jr., Richard S. Camden
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Publication number: 20170310109Abstract: A controllable electrical outlet may comprise a resonant loop antenna. The resonant loop antenna may comprise a feed loop electrically coupled to a radio-frequency (RF) communication circuit and a main loop magnetically coupled to the feed loop. The controllable electrical outlet may comprise one or more electrical receptacles configured to receive a plug of a plug-in electrical load and may be configured to control power delivered to the plug-in electrical load in response to an RF signal received via the RF communication circuit. The RF performance of the controllable electrical outlet may be substantially immune to devices plugged into the receptacles (e.g., plugs, power supplies, etc.) due to the operation of the resonant loop antenna. For example, degradation of the RF performance of the controllable electrical outlet may be less when the controllable electrical outlet includes the resonant loop antenna rather than other types of antennas.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 25, 2017Publication date: October 26, 2017Applicant: Lutron Electronics Co., Inc.Inventors: Robert Bollinger, JR., Dragan Veskovic
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Patent number: 9155172Abstract: A load control device for controlling the power delivered from a power source to an electrical load includes an antenna and a communication circuit to receive and transmit messages via radio frequency (RF) signals. The communication circuit is coupled to the power source but is capacitively coupled to the antenna. The capacitive coupling is formed through multiple layers of a printed circuit board (PCB) in which each layer includes a conductive trace that neighbors another conductive trace on an adjacent layer. The capacitive coupling provides that the antenna is electrically isolated from the communication circuit which accordingly, provides that the antenna is electrically isolated from the power source.Type: GrantFiled: May 10, 2012Date of Patent: October 6, 2015Assignee: LUTRON ELECTRONICS CO., INC.Inventors: Robert Baragona, Matthew Robert Blakeley, Robert Bollinger, Jr., Orbay Tuncay
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Publication number: 20120313456Abstract: A load control device for controlling the power delivered from a power source to an electrical load includes an antenna and a communication circuit to receive and transmit messages via radio frequency (RF) signals. The communication circuit is coupled to the power source but is capacitively coupled to the antenna. The capacitive coupling is formed through multiple layers of a printed circuit board (PCB) in which each layer includes a conductive trace that neighbors another conductive trace on an adjacent layer. The capacitive coupling provides that the antenna is electrically isolated from the communication circuit which accordingly, provides that the antenna is electrically isolated from the power source.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 10, 2012Publication date: December 13, 2012Applicant: LUTRON ELECTRONICS CO., INC.Inventors: Robert Baragona, Matthew Robert Blakeley, Robert Bollinger, JR., Orbay Tuncay
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Patent number: 7834817Abstract: A load control device for controlling the power delivered to an electrical load has a power switch, a transmitter and/or a receiver in communication with a controller for the switch; a mounting yoke for a traditional style faceplate; an actuator button extending through an opening of the faceplate; an antenna receiving a first signal from a remote control device and/or transmitting a second signal to a remote control device, the receiver coupling the first signal from the antenna to the controller for controlling the switch, the transmitter coupling the second signal from the controller to the antenna. The antenna has a printed circuit board disposed perpendicular to the yoke; first and second magnetically coupled conductive loops; the antenna disposed inside and behind the actuator button and extending through and beyond the opening of the faceplate.Type: GrantFiled: June 24, 2009Date of Patent: November 16, 2010Assignee: Lutron Electronics Co., Inc.Inventors: Donald R. Mosebrook, Gregory Altonen, Robert Bollinger, Jr.
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Publication number: 20090256484Abstract: A load control device for controlling the power delivered to an electrical load, the load control device comprising a controllably conductive device for controlling the power delivered to the electrical load, the controllably conductive device having a control input; a controller coupled to the control input of the controllably conductive device for control of the controllably conductive device; a transmitter and/or a receiver in communication with the controller; a substantially-planar mounting yoke adapted to receive a traditional-style faceplate mounted thereto; an actuator button for providing an input to the controller, the actuator button mounted relative to the yoke, such that the actuator button is adapted to extend through an opening of the traditional-style faceplate when the faceplate is attached to the yoke; and an antenna coupled to the transmitter and/or receiver, the antenna adapted to receive a first signal at a specified frequency from a remote control device and/or transmit a second signal aType: ApplicationFiled: June 24, 2009Publication date: October 15, 2009Applicant: LUTRON ELECTRONICS CO., INC.Inventors: Donald Mosebrook, Gregory Altonen, Robert Bollinger, JR.
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Patent number: 7592967Abstract: A compact antenna for use in a load control device for controlling the power delivered to an electric load and operable to transmit or receive radio frequency signals at a specified frequency is presented. The antenna comprises a first main radiating loop of conductive material having an inductance and a capacitor forming a circuit being resonant at the specified frequency, and a second feed loop of conductive material having two ends adapted to be electrically coupled to an electronic circuit. The second feed loop is substantially only magnetically coupled to the first main radiating loop. The antenna is disposed in an actuator button, which is provided in an opening of a traditional-style faceplate. The antenna extends beyond the faceplate of the load control device.Type: GrantFiled: June 6, 2006Date of Patent: September 22, 2009Assignee: Lutron Electronics Co., Inc.Inventors: Donald R. Mosebrook, Gregory Altonen, Robert Bollinger, Jr.
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Publication number: 20090184652Abstract: A load control device has a modular assembly to allow for easy adjustment of the aesthetic, the color, and the functionality of the load control device after installation. The load control device comprises a user interface module and a base module. The user interface module includes an actuation member for receiving a user input, a visual display for providing feedback to the user, and an antenna for transmitting and receiving radio-frequency signals. The base module has a controllably conductive device and a controller for controlling the amount of power delivered from an AC power source to an electrical load. A connector of the base module is adapted to be coupled to a connector of the user interface module, such that the controller is operatively coupled to the actuation member, the visual display, and the antenna.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 3, 2009Publication date: July 23, 2009Applicant: LUTRON ELECTRONICS CO., INC.Inventors: Robert Bollinger, JR., Daniel F. Carmen, Donald R. Mosebrook, Jeremy Nearhoof, Gregory Altonen
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Publication number: 20080303451Abstract: A dimmer control operable to adjust a status of a connected electrical lamp in response to a radio frequency control signal received from a remote control device, the dimmer control comprising a communication and control circuit comprising at least a radio frequency transmitter/receiver and an antenna operable to receive a radio frequency signal from the remote control device that includes control information for controlling the status of the electrical lamp; a manual actuator operable to change the on/off status of the electrical lamp; and a slider control operable to change the dimming status of the electrical lamp, wherein the slider control operates to dim the electrical lamp and the communication and control circuit is operable to transmit to the remote control device status information representing the changed status of the electrical lamp, or the setting of the slider control, or both.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 20, 2008Publication date: December 11, 2008Applicant: LUTRON ELECTRONICS CO., INC.Inventors: Donald Mosebrook, Gregory Altonen, Robert Bollinger, JR.
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Patent number: D780128Type: GrantFiled: September 4, 2015Date of Patent: February 28, 2017Assignee: Lutron Electronics Co., Inc.Inventors: Robert Bollinger, Jr., Angelo Caruso, Brian Michael Courtney, Elliot G. Jacoby, Jason C. Killo, Brad Michael Kreschollek, Matthew Philip McDonald
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Patent number: D780129Type: GrantFiled: September 4, 2015Date of Patent: February 28, 2017Assignee: Lutron Electronics Co., Inc.Inventors: Robert Bollinger, Jr., Angelo Caruso, Brian Michael Courtney, Elliot G. Jacoby, Jason C. Killo, Brad Michael Kreschollek, Matthew Philip McDonald