Patents by Inventor Thomas Warren Brenner

Thomas Warren Brenner 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: 7839109
    Abstract: A method of controlling a motorized window treatment provides for continued operation of the motorized window treatment during an overload or low-line condition. The motorized window treatment is driven by an electronic drive unit having a motor, a motor drive circuit, and a controller. The controller controls the motor drive circuit to drive the motor with a pulse-width modulated signal generated from a bus voltage. The controller is operable to monitor the magnitude of the bus voltage. If the bus voltage drops below a first voltage threshold, the controller stops the motor or reduces the duty cycle of the pulse-width modulated signal to allow the bus voltage to increase to an acceptable magnitude. When the bus voltage rises above a second voltage threshold, the controller begins driving the motor normally once again. During an overload or low-line condition, the controller is prevented from resetting, while driving the motor with minimal interruption to the movement of the motorized window treatment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2010
    Assignee: Lutron Electronics Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Lawrence R. Carmen, Jr., Thomas Warren Brenner, Stephen Lundy
  • Patent number: 7737653
    Abstract: A method of controlling a motorized window treatment provides for continued operation of the motorized window treatment during an overload condition, a low-line condition, or an electrostatic discharge (ESD) event. The motorized window treatment is driven by an electronic drive unit having a motor, a motor drive circuit, a rotational position sensor, a controller, and a memory for storing the command. The controller stores the present position of the motorized window treatment in the memory each time the rotational position of the motor changes by a predetermined angle, such that a plurality of positions are stored in the memory. When the controller is reset due to an overload condition or ESD event, the controller recalls the desired position from the memory, determines the present position, and continues to drive the motor drive circuit in response to the command and the present position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2010
    Assignee: Lutron Electronics Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Lawrence R. Carmen, Jr., Robert Thomas Nachtrieb, Thomas Warren Brenner, Stephen Lundy, Jonathan H. Ference, Justin Mierta
  • Publication number: 20080258666
    Abstract: A method of controlling a motorized window treatment provides for continued operation of the motorized window treatment during an overload condition, a low-line condition, or an electrostatic discharge (ESD) event. The motorized window treatment is driven by an electronic drive unit having a motor, a motor drive circuit, a rotational position sensor, a controller, and a memory for storing the command. The controller stores the present position of the motorized window treatment in the memory each time the rotational position of the motor changes by a predetermined angle, such that a plurality of positions are stored in the memory. When the controller is reset due to an overload condition or ESD event, the controller recalls the desired position from the memory, determines the present position, and continues to drive the motor drive circuit in response to the command and the present position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 17, 2007
    Publication date: October 23, 2008
    Inventors: Lawrence R. Carmen, Robert Thomas Nachtrieb, Thomas Warren Brenner, Stephen Lundy, Jonathan H. Ference, Justin Mierta
  • Publication number: 20080260363
    Abstract: A method of controlling a motorized window treatment provides for continued operation of the motorized window treatment during an overload or low-line condition. The motorized window treatment is driven by an electronic drive unit having a motor, a motor drive circuit, and a controller. The controller controls the motor drive circuit to drive the motor with a pulse-width modulated signal generated from a bus voltage. The controller is operable to monitor the magnitude of the bus voltage. If the bus voltage drops below a first voltage threshold, the controller stops the motor or reduces the duty cycle of the pulse-width modulated signal to allow the bus voltage to increase to an acceptable magnitude. When the bus voltage rises above a second voltage threshold, the controller begins driving the motor normally once again. During an overload or low-line condition, the controller is prevented from resetting, while driving the motor with minimal interruption to the movement of the motorized window treatment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 4, 2008
    Publication date: October 23, 2008
    Applicant: LUTRON ELECTRONICS CO., INC.
    Inventors: Lawrence R. Carmen, Thomas Warren Brenner, Stephen Lundy