Patents by Inventor Stephen Spencer Thompson
Stephen Spencer Thompson 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: 7358627Abstract: An apparatus in an electronic control system allows two or three wire operation. A power supply can supply power to the enclosed circuitry in both two and three wire installations. Two separate zero cross detectors are used such that timing information can be collected in both two and three wire installations. Both zero cross detectors are monitored and are used to automatically configure the electronic control. Over voltage circuitry senses an over voltage condition across a MOSFET which is in the off state and turns the MOSFET on so that it desirably will not reach the avalanche region. Over current circuitry senses when the current through the MOSFETs has exceeded a predetermined current threshold and then turns the MOSFETs off so they do not exceed the MOSFETs' safe operating area (SOA) curve. Latching circuitry is employed to keep the protection circuitry in effect even after a fault condition has cleared.Type: GrantFiled: January 24, 2006Date of Patent: April 15, 2008Assignee: Lutron Electronics Co., Inc.Inventors: Richard L. Black, Stephen Spencer Thompson
-
Patent number: 7005762Abstract: An apparatus in an electronic control system allows two or three wire operation. A power supply can supply power to the enclosed circuitry in both two and three wire installations. Two separate zero cross detectors are used such that timing information can be collected in both two and three wire installations. Both zero cross detectors are monitored and are used to automatically configure the electronic control. Over voltage circuitry senses an over voltage condition across a MOSFET which is in the off state and turns the MOSFET on so that it desirably will not reach the avalanche region. Over current circuitry senses when the current through the MOSFETs has exceeded a predetermined current threshold and then turns the MOSFETs off so they do not exceed the MOSFETs' safe operating area (SOA) curve. Latching circuitry is employed to keep the protection circuitry in effect even after a fault condition has cleared.Type: GrantFiled: April 8, 2003Date of Patent: February 28, 2006Assignee: Lutron Electronics Co., Inc.Inventors: Richard L. Black, Graham Christensen, Benjamin Aaron Johnson, Shawn L. Leichliter, Robert C. Newman, Jr., Stephen Spencer Thompson, Chenming Wu
-
Patent number: 6969959Abstract: An apparatus in an electronic control system allows two or three wire operation. A power supply can supply power to the enclosed circuitry in both two and three wire installations. Two separate zero cross detectors are used such that timing information can be collected in both two and three wire installations. Both zero cross detectors are monitored and are used to automatically configure the electronic control. Over voltage circuitry senses an over voltage condition across a MOSFET which is in the off state and turns the MOSFET on so that it desirably will not reach the avalanche region. Over current circuitry senses when the current through the MOSFETs has exceeded a predetermined current threshold and then turns the MOSFETs off so they do not exceed the MOSFETs' safe operating area (SOA) curve. Latching circuitry is employed to keep the protection circuitry in effect even after a fault condition has cleared.Type: GrantFiled: December 10, 2001Date of Patent: November 29, 2005Assignee: Lutron Electronics Co., Inc.Inventors: Richard L. Black, Graham Christensen, Benjamin Aaron Johnson, Shawn L. Leichliter, Robert C. Newman, Jr., Stephen Spencer Thompson, Chenming Wu
-
Patent number: 6720744Abstract: An apparatus in an electronic control system allows two or three wire operation. A power supply can supply power to the enclosed circuitry in both two and three wire installations. Two separate zero cross detectors are used such that timing information can be collected in both two and three wire installations. Both zero cross detectors are monitored and are used to automatically configure the electronic control. Over voltage circuitry senses an over voltage condition across a MOSFET which is in the off state and turns the MOSFET on so that it desirably will not reach the avalanche region. Over current circuitry senses when the current through the MOSFETs has exceeded a predetermined current threshold and then turns the MOSFETs off so they do not exceed the MOSFETs' safe operating area (SOA) curve. Latching circuitry is employed to keep the protection circuitry in effect even after a fault condition has cleared.Type: GrantFiled: December 10, 2001Date of Patent: April 13, 2004Assignee: Lutron Electronics Co., Inc.Inventors: Richard L. Black, Graham Christensen, Benjamin Aaron Johnson, Shawn L. Leichliter, Robert C. Newman, Jr., Stephen Spencer Thompson, Chenming Wu
-
Publication number: 20040051467Abstract: A wireless control system for lighting or the like has a central processor that receives commands from keypads and other control devices, and sends commands to dimmers and other controlled devices. The central processor also receives status reports from the dimmers and sends updates to the keypads, in order to ensure that displays on the keypads are up to date.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 16, 2002Publication date: March 18, 2004Inventors: Gnanagiri Balasubramaniam, Richard Leo Black, Brian Michael Courtney, Jason Douglass Craze, Stuart William Dejonge, William Harlan Howe, Benjamin Aaron Johnson, Glen Andrew Kruse, Donald Ray Mosebrook, Daniel Curtis Raneri, Chris Mark Rogan, Timothy Russell Roper, Siddarth P. Sinha, Stephen Spencer Thompson, Brian Raymond Valenta, Robert Francis Walko
-
Publication number: 20030178892Abstract: An apparatus in an electronic control system allows two or three wire operation. A power supply can supply power to the enclosed circuitry in both two and three wire installations. Two separate zero cross detectors are used such that timing information can be collected in both two and three wire installations. Both zero cross detectors are monitored and are used to automatically configure the electronic control. Over voltage circuitry senses an over voltage condition across a MOSFET which is in the off state and turns the MOSFET on so that it desirably will not reach the avalanche region. Over current circuitry senses when the current through the MOSFETs has exceeded a predetermined current threshold and then turns the MOSFETs off so they do not exceed the MOSFETs' safe operating area (SOA) curve. Latching circuitry is employed to keep the protection circuitry in effect even after a fault condition has cleared.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 8, 2003Publication date: September 25, 2003Inventors: Richard L. Black, Graham Christensen, Benjamin Aaron Johnson, Shawn L. Leichliter, Robert C. Newman, Stephen Spencer Thompson, Chenming Wu
-
Publication number: 20030006710Abstract: An apparatus in an electronic control system allows two or three wire operation. A power supply can supply power to the enclosed circuitry in both two and three wire installations. Two separate zero cross detectors are used such that timing information can be collected in both two and three wire installations. Both zero cross detectors are monitored and are used to automatically configure the electronic control. Over voltage circuitry senses an over voltage condition across a MOSFET which is in the off state and turns the MOSFET on so that it desirably will not reach the avalanche region. Over current circuitry senses when the current through the MOSFETs has exceeded a predetermined current threshold and then turns the MOSFETs off so they do not exceed the MOSFETs' safe operating area (SOA) curve. Latching circuitry is employed to keep the protection circuitry in effect even after a fault condition has cleared.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 10, 2001Publication date: January 9, 2003Inventors: Richard L. Black, Graham Christensen, Benjamin Aaron Johnson, Shawn L. Leichliter, Robert C. Newman, Stephen Spencer Thompson, Chenming Wu