Patents by Inventor Robert Weger

Robert Weger 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: 9313837
    Abstract: The invention describes a control circuit for backlighting having a plurality of control channels in each of which a light emitting diode string is controlled. The control circuit has a balancing device for balancing the currents in the individual control channels, and a control unit that is connected to a power factor correction circuit (PFC), to a bridge circuit and to a primary-side current measuring device. Each control channel has a switch for switching the light emitting diode string that is connected to a separate dimming signal. The control circuit furthermore has at least one smoothing capacitor and one current limiter that limits the charging current for the smoothing capacitor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2016
    Assignee: MINEBEA CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Robert Weger, Mykhaylo Raykhman
  • Patent number: 9154040
    Abstract: A down converter for converting an input DC voltage (Vin) into a lower output DC voltage (Vout). The down converter has on the primary side (2) an LC series resonance circuit (4) that can be connected via a first switch (S1) to the input voltage (Vin) and via a second switch (S2) to ground. On the secondary side (3), an output switch (S3) and an output capacitor (C) are each connected in parallel to the DC voltage output (Vout) and connected to each other through an inductor (L). The output switch (S3) is connected via a diode (Dr) to the input voltage (Vin) so as to divert voltage overshoots.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2015
    Assignee: Minebea Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Robert Weger, Mykhaylo Raykhman
  • Patent number: 8624520
    Abstract: An electrical appliance, particularly a television or a monitor, having a lighting device (8) having light emitting diodes (12). The light emitting diodes (LED) (12) are collected in LED strings (11) and controlled by a balancing network (17). The balancing network (17) has a circuit branch (19) for each string (11), the circuit branches (19) being connected in parallel to each other. Disposed in each circuit branch (19), is a bridge rectifier (20) to which the LED string (11) is connected. Moreover, each circuit branch has a balancing transformer (23), wherein all the secondary windings (26) of the balancing transformer (23) are connected in series in a closed conductor loop (27), by which the currents in all circuit branches are balanced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2014
    Assignee: Minebea Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Manfred Schlenk, Robert Weger
  • Publication number: 20130293125
    Abstract: The invention describes a control circuit for backlighting having a plurality of control channels in each of which a light emitting diode string is controlled. The control circuit has a balancing device for balancing the currents in the individual control channels, and a control unit that is connected to a power factor correction circuit (PFC), to a bridge circuit and to a primary-side current measuring device. Each control channel has a switch for switching the light emitting diode string that is connected to a separate dimming signal. The control circuit furthermore has at least one smoothing capacitor and one current limiter that limits the charging current for the smoothing capacitor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 8, 2013
    Publication date: November 7, 2013
    Inventors: Robert WEGER, Mykhaylo RAYKHMAN
  • Patent number: 8525429
    Abstract: A method and a device for controlling gas discharge lamps using a direct current/alternating current inverter (DC/AC inverter) that is operated at a predetermined frequency and that generates an AC output voltage U for operating the gas discharge lamps from a DC input voltage which has a residual ripple. The DC/AC inverter is operated in zero voltage switching (ZVS) mode, wherein the DC input voltage is used as the control variable for the lamp current IL, wherein fluctuations in the lamp current IL caused by the residual ripple of the DC input voltage are compensated by a variation in the switch-on times and/or switch-off times of the switching elements QH, QL of the DC/AC inverter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2013
    Assignee: Minebea Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Manfred Schlenk, Robert Weger, Hans Hoffmann, Mykhaylo Raykhman, Michael Herfurth, Martin Feldtkeller
  • Publication number: 20120281435
    Abstract: A DC-DC converter (1) is provided having a resonant half-bridge circuit (2) and a transformer (TX1) that has a primary winding (P1) and a secondary winding (S1, S2) on a transformer core (4). The voltage converter (1) has a secondary circuit (3) with which the secondary winding (S1, S2) is associated and a switch (Q3, Q4) that is connected in series to the secondary winding (S1, S2), and a smoothing capacitor (C0, C01). The switch (Q3, Q4) is operated as a synchronous rectifier.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 4, 2012
    Publication date: November 8, 2012
    Applicant: Minebea Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Manfred Schlenk, Jörg Oehmen, Robert Weger, Mykhaylo Raykhman
  • Patent number: 8188681
    Abstract: The proposed circuit makes it possible to operate a plurality of gas discharge lamps, particularly cold cathode tubes, across a common voltage source. The circuit reduces the resistance tolerance of the lamp characteristic curves through controlled debalancing of the lamp currents with the aid of debalancing modules. Through the active reduction in the resistance tolerance, the requirements placed on the electric strength of the balancing transistors as well as energy losses of the balancing circuit are reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2012
    Assignee: Minebea Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Robert Weger
  • Patent number: 8129922
    Abstract: A method for controlling a high-frequency transformer by which the acoustic transformer noises occurring during intermittent operation (burst operation) are reduced. This is achieved according to the invention by halving a length of the first and the last pulse of an AC voltage pulse train or the first and the last half-wave in the ON interval (Tn). This goes to avoid magnetizing peaks in the core that cause a major part of the background noise.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Mineba Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Robert Weger
  • Publication number: 20110266964
    Abstract: An electrical appliance, particularly a television or a monitor, having a lighting device (8) having light emitting diodes (12). The light emitting diodes (LED) (12) are collected in LED strings (11) and controlled by a balancing network (17). The balancing network (17) has a circuit branch (19) for each string (11), the circuit branches (19) being connected in parallel to each other. Disposed in each circuit branch (19), is a bridge rectifier (20) to which the LED string (11) is connected. Moreover, each circuit branch has a balancing transformer (23), wherein all the secondary windings (26) of the balancing transformer (23) are connected in series in a closed conductor loop (27), by which the currents in all circuit branches are balanced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 2, 2011
    Publication date: November 3, 2011
    Applicant: Minebea Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Manfred Schlenk, Robert Weger
  • Patent number: 7893628
    Abstract: The presented circuit makes it possible to operate a plurality of gas discharge lamps, particularly cold cathode tubes, at a common voltage source. The uniform distribution of current to all the lamps is achieved without using any magnetic components, but only using semiconductor components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2011
    Assignee: Minebea Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Robert Weger, Masaya Yamashita
  • Publication number: 20100327771
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method and a device for controlling gas discharge lamps using a direct current/alternating current inverter (DC/AC inverter) that is operated at a predetermined frequency and that generates an AC output voltage U for operating the gas discharge lamps from a DC input voltage which has a residual ripple. According to the invention, the DC/AC inverter is operated in zero voltage switching (ZVS) mode, wherein the DC input voltage is used as the control variable for the lamp current IL, wherein fluctuations in the lamp current IL caused by the residual ripple of the DC input voltage are compensated by a variation in the switch-on times and/or switch-off times of the switching elements QH, QL of the DC/AC inverter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2010
    Publication date: December 30, 2010
    Inventors: Manfred SCHLENK, Robert Weger, Hans Hoffmann, Mykhaylo Raykhman, Michael Herfurth, Martin Feldtkeller
  • Patent number: 7852013
    Abstract: According to the present invention an electronic stabilizer circuit for suppressing startup instabilities when supplying a cold cathode fluorescent lamp with current is proposed which is connected in series with a power supply line of the cold cathode fluorescent lamp. The stabilizer circuit has variable impedance which is automatically adjusted depending on the magnitude of the lamp current thus limiting the lamp current to a certain current threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2010
    Assignee: Minebea Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Robert Weger
  • Patent number: 7800289
    Abstract: The invention relates to an electrodeless high frequency gas discharge lamp according to the induction principle that, as a result of its design and construction, shows particularly low electromagnetic interference with a simultaneous increase in light efficiency. The gas discharge lamp according to the invention owes these advantageous properties on the one hand to the high coupling factor between the discharge current and the exciting current and, on the other hand, to the essentially homogeneous field conditions in the discharge vessel, which has been achieved by designing the discharge vessel to take the form of a hollow cylindrical ring which is seated directly over the exciter winding that extends over the entire length of the discharge vessel on a fully-closed, highly-permeable ferrite core.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2010
    Assignee: Minebea Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Robert Weger
  • Patent number: 7755299
    Abstract: The invention relates to a transformer (10) for balancing the current in an AC circuit, comprising a primary winding (12), a secondary winding (14) and a main inductance (16). The transformer is characterized in that a capacitive component is connected in parallel to the primary winding (12) or to the secondary winding (14), whose capacitance value is determined such that the reactive current IL brought about by the main inductance (16) is substantially compensated. A transformer of this kind can preferably be employed in current balancing circuits as used, for example, in systems for backlighting LCD displays.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2010
    Assignee: Minebea Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Robert Weger
  • Publication number: 20090322249
    Abstract: A method for controlling a high-frequency transformer by which the acoustic transformer noises occurring during intermittent operation (burst operation) are reduced. This is achieved according to the invention by halving a length of the first and the last pulse of an AC voltage pulse train or the first and the last half-wave in the ON interval (Tn). This goes to avoid magnetizing peaks in the core that cause a major part of the background noise.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2009
    Publication date: December 31, 2009
    Applicant: MINEBEA CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Robert Weger
  • Patent number: 7579785
    Abstract: To provide a multiple-light discharge lamp lighting device that stabilizes and equalizes tube current of a plurality of discharge lamps without arranging a Ballast element to the secondary side of an inverter transformer with low costs. A multiple-light discharge lamp lighting device 10 according to the present invention includes inverter means 12 and a plurality of inverter transformers TR1 to TRn. Discharge lamps La1 to Lan are connected to secondary windings Ns1 to Nsn of the inverter transformers TR1 to TRn. Preferably, variable impedance elements Z1 to Zn, as variable inductance elements, are serially connected to primary windings Np1 to Npn of the plurality of inverter transformers TR1 to TRn. Accordingly, the tube current can be stabilized and equalized without using an element resistant to a high voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2009
    Assignee: Minebea Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Shinmen, Robert Weger
  • Patent number: 7567039
    Abstract: A multiple discharge lamp lighting apparatus is provided which achieves stable and uniform lamp currents in a plurality of discharge lamps without a ballast element at the secondary side of an inverter transformer. The multiple discharge lamp lighting apparatus includes an inverter, and a plurality of inverter transformers each of which has a discharge lamp connected at a secondary winding thereof. A balance inductance element is provided between the primary side wirings of any adjacent pair of the plurality of inverter transformers. Each of the inverter transformers includes a tight coupling section and a loose coupling section, which function as a balance coil and an impedance element, respectively, whereby the lamp currents of the discharge lamps are stabilized and equalized without using a high withstand voltage element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2009
    Assignee: Minebea Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Shinmen, Robert Weger
  • Publication number: 20090184661
    Abstract: The proposed circuit makes it possible to operate a plurality of gas discharge lamps, particularly cold cathode tubes, across a common voltage source. The circuit reduces the resistance tolerance of the lamp characteristic curves through controlled debalancing of the lamp currents with the aid of debalancing modules. Through the active reduction in the resistance tolerance, the requirements placed on the electric strength of the balancing transistors as well as energy losses of the balancing circuit are reduced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 22, 2009
    Publication date: July 23, 2009
    Inventor: Robert Weger
  • Patent number: 7554219
    Abstract: A DC/DC converter having an input switching stage on the primary side and a plurality of output channels on the secondary side of the converter, each output channel having a secondary control loop and a monitoring device, the monitoring devices monitoring the operation of the secondary control loops, and a primary control loop being provided on the primary side which receives output signals from the monitoring devices and drives the input switching stage according to the output signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2009
    Assignee: Minebea Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Robert Weger
  • Publication number: 20090160349
    Abstract: According to the present invention an electronic stabilizer circuit for suppressing startup instabilities when supplying a cold cathode fluorescent lamp with current is proposed which is connected in series with a power supply line of the cold cathode fluorescent lamp. The stabilizer circuit has variable impedance which is automatically adjusted depending on the magnitude of the lamp current thus limiting the lamp current to a certain current threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2007
    Publication date: June 25, 2009
    Inventor: Robert Weger