Patents by Inventor Werner Berns

Werner Berns 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: 10070491
    Abstract: A light system (FIG. 2) is disclosed. The light system includes a plurality of series connected light emitting diodes (240-246). Each of a plurality of switching devices (230-236) has a control terminal and each has a current path coupled in parallel with a respective LED. A plurality of fault detector circuits (220-226) are each coupled in parallel with a respective light emitting diode. Each fault detector circuit has a first comparator (FIG. 7, 704) arranged to compare a voltage across the respective light emitting diode to a respective first reference voltage (708). When a fault is detected, a control signal is applied to the control terminal to turn on a respective switching device of the plurality of switching devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Joseph V. DeNicholas, Perry Tsao, Christoph Goeltner, Daniel Ross Herrington, James Masson, James Patterson, Werner Berns
  • Publication number: 20160088699
    Abstract: A light system (FIG. 2) is disclosed. The light system includes a plurality of series connected light emitting diodes (240-246). Each of a plurality of switching devices (230-236) has a control terminal and each has a current path coupled in parallel with a respective LED. A plurality of fault detector circuits (220-226) are each coupled in parallel with a respective light emitting diode. Each fault detector circuit has a first comparator (FIG. 7, 704) arranged to compare a voltage across the respective light emitting diode to a respective first reference voltage (708). When a fault is detected, a control signal is applied to the control terminal to turn on a respective switching device of the plurality of switching devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2015
    Publication date: March 24, 2016
    Inventors: Joseph V. DeNicholas, Perry Tsao, Christoph Goeltner, Daniel Ross Herrington, James Masson, James Patterson, Werner Berns
  • Patent number: 9253850
    Abstract: A light system (FIG. 2) is disclosed. The light system includes a plurality of series connected light emitting diodes (240-246). Each of a plurality of switching devices (230-236) has a control terminal and each has a current path coupled in parallel with a respective LED. A plurality of fault detector circuits (220-226) are each coupled in parallel with a respective light emitting diode. Each fault detector circuit has a first comparator (FIG. 7, 704) arranged to compare a voltage across the respective light emitting diode to a respective first reference voltage (708). When a fault is defected, a control signal is applied to the control terminal to turn on a respective switching device of the plurality of switching devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignees: Texas Instruments Incorporated, Texas Instruments Deutschland GmbH
    Inventors: Joseph V. DeNicholas, Perry Tsao, Christoph Goeltner, Daniel Ross Herrington, James Masson, James Patterson, Werner Berns
  • Patent number: 8712741
    Abstract: A system may include a database configured to store information including characteristics of a plurality of components. The system may further include a server in communication with the database and configured to: receive design parameters indicative of a plurality of power supply loads to be powered; determine a plurality of power supply architectures that may be used to provide power supply solutions satisfying the plurality of loads, each power supply architecture including at least one position requiring a component configured to satisfy a load requirement; for each one of at least a subset of the plurality of power supply architectures, determine, based on the characteristics of the plurality of components, at least one component configured to satisfy the corresponding load requirement for each position of the one of the power supply architectures; and generate at least one power supply design in accordance with the power supply architectures and the determined components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2014
    Assignee: National Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventors: Jeffrey Robert Perry, Martin Garrison, Dien Mac, Khang Nguyen, Ajay Padgaonkar, Phil Gibson, Scott Hung, Werner Berns
  • Publication number: 20130313973
    Abstract: A light system (FIG. 2) is disclosed. The light system includes a plurality of series connected light emitting diodes (240-246). Each of a plurality of switching devices (230-236) has a control terminal and each has a current path coupled in parallel with a respective LED. A plurality of fault detector circuits (220-226) are each coupled in parallel with a respective light emitting diode. Each fault detector circuit has a first comparator (FIG. 7, 704) arranged to compare a voltage across the respective light emitting diode to a respective first reference voltage (708). When a fault is defected, a control signal is applied to the control terminal to turn on a respective switching device of the plurality of switching devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 26, 2013
    Publication date: November 28, 2013
    Applicant: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Joseph V. DeNicholas, Perry Tsao, Christoph Goeltner, Daniel Ross Herrington, James Masson, James Patterson, Werner Berns
  • Publication number: 20110320175
    Abstract: A system may include a database configured to store information including characteristics of a plurality of components. The system may further include a server in communication with the database and configured to: receive design parameters indicative of a plurality of power supply loads to be powered; determine a plurality of power supply architectures that may be used to provide power supply solutions satisfying the plurality of loads, each power supply architecture including at least one position requiring a component configured to satisfy a load requirement; for each one of at least a subset of the plurality of power supply architectures, determine, based on the characteristics of the plurality of components, at least one component configured to satisfy the corresponding load requirement for each position of the one of the power supply architectures; and generate at least one power supply design in accordance with the power supply architectures and the determined components.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 27, 2011
    Publication date: December 29, 2011
    Inventors: Jeffrey Robert Perry, Martin Garrison, Dien Mac, Khang Nguyen, Ajay Padgaonkar, Phil Gibson, Scott Hung, Werner Berns