Patent application number | Description | Published |
20140139122 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR MULTI-STATE POWER MANAGEMENT - The present disclosure is directed to a solution providing multi-state power management. In some aspects, the design of the multi-state power management system (MPMS) facilitates switching to battery back up power upon identifying a power outage and further controlling the intensity level of a load (e.g., a light source) such that the light run time meets a minimum required run time. The MPMS may be designed and configured to identify a power outage and a battery status based on the voltage at a voltage input of the lighting device. The design may also include controlling the intensity level of the light source responsive to temperature measurements, e.g., ambient temperature or the temperature of one or more components, to maintain the health of the system. | 05-22-2014 |
20140184127 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR CONTINUOUS ADJUSTMENT OF REFERENCE SIGNAL TO CONTROL CHIP - The present disclosure is directed to a solution that provides for continuous adjustment of a reference signal to a control chip to facilitate controlling the average output power. In some aspects, a system may facilitate continuous adjustment of power provided to a device by providing a reference signal with a slope to a control pin (e.g., current control pin) of a control chip (e.g., power regulator or LED driver). Providing a reference signal with a slope (e.g., a triangle or a sinusoidal wave) can increase the control range of the control chip and improve control chip performance. For example, systems and methods of the present disclosure may increase the dimming range of an LED from less than 0.1% to 100%. | 07-03-2014 |
20140191684 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR A HYSTERESIS BASED DRIVER USING A LED AS A VOLTAGE REFERENCE - The present disclosure is directed to a hysteresis based driver that incorporates the forward voltage of the LEDs being driven into the design of the driver itself. Instead of providing a typical fixed voltage reference, the forward voltage of one or more LEDS driven by the driver is used as a voltage reference. As the input voltage varies during operation of the one or more LEDs, the current varies as well. This current change is larger than it would be without the LEDs and only resistors. This variable current measurement may be used as input into a hysteresis circuit that controls the switch that turns on and off the one or more LEDs. As such, the driver may not incorporate or use a typical fixed voltage reference such as one provided by a zener diode. | 07-10-2014 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090284169 | Systems and Methods for Communicating in a Lighting Network - Systems and methods for communication between devices using a duty cycle of a signal while a device maintains operation responsive to the duty cycle are disclosed. A device receives a signal comprising a duty cycle within a time interval, the duty cycle comprising a plurality of portions and each of the plurality of portions comprising a duration of the duty cycle within the time interval. The device performs an operation responsive to the duty cycle and, in response to a detection of an instruction identified by at least one portion of the duty cycle, performs a function based on the instruction while maintaining the operation responsive to the duty cycle. The device performs operations responsive to duty cycles within time intervals of succeeding signals and performs functions based on instructions from the succeeding signals while maintaining the operation responsive to the duty cycles. | 11-19-2009 |
20090284184 | Cooperative Communications with Multiple Master/Slaves in a Led Lighting Network - The present disclosure presents a relatively inexpensive yet intelligent solution for assigning a status to a lighting device over a connection used for transmissions of power and/or intensity for the lighting device. The system leverage and utilizes an existing connection that is available in many traditional lighting systems to provide intelligence between lighting devices, such as assigning a master or slave status to a lighting fixture or a device. For example, a typical lighting fixture may have existing connections such as for wiring and powering up the lighting fixture to modulate intensity of the light emitted. The present solution described herein provides systems and methods for utilizing the same wire to assign a status to the lighting fixture without interrupting the power supplied to the lighting fixture or the intensity emitted from the lighting device. | 11-19-2009 |
20090284747 | Non-Contact Selection and Control of Lighting Devices - The present disclosure presents systems and methods for providing for detecting a presence of an object or a user via a non-contact selection switch. An LED may emit a signal, comprising high components and low components within a plurality of pulses. A detector may determine that an average intensity of a received portion of the electromagnetic signal is below a predetermined threshold. The average intensity may be responsive to a ratio of high components duration over a period of time to low components duration over the period of time. An object located in proximity of the non-contact switch may reflect the portion of the signal. The detector may detect presence of the object by determining that a sum of average intensities of the received portion of the electromagnetic signal and the reflected portion of the electromagnetic signal exceeds the predetermined threshold responsive to the ratio of a duration of high components to a duration of low components within or over the period of time. | 11-19-2009 |
20100084992 | INTENSITY CONTROL AND COLOR MIXING OF LIGHT EMITTING DEVICES - The present disclosure presents systems and methods for controlling light intensity and color mixing of light emitted by lighting devices. A controller may use a setting for an intensity of light and an instruction to generate, for a remote lighting device, a signal comprising the instruction and a duty cycle within a time period of the signal that corresponds to the setting for the intensity of light. The signal may comprise a digital pattern corresponding to at least a portion of the instruction. The remote lighting device may determine the duty cycle of the time period of the received signal based on a sum of durations of time for which the signal within the period comprises a high value. The remote lighting device may establish intensity of the light emitted based on the duty cycle while implementing an action based on the identified instruction. | 04-08-2010 |
20120249013 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR LOW LEVEL DIMMING - The present disclosure is directed to an inexpensive yet intelligent solution for dimming light devices to low level intensities in which the common lighting systems generally have difficulties maintaining stability and flicker-free operation. The systems and method described herein enable a lighting system to utilize a dimmer to dim one or more lighting devices to low level intensities without introducing flickering or inconsistent operation of the lights. More specifically, the systems and methods described herein enable a dimmer to dim lights to anywhere between 0% and 5% of maximum brightness, while ensuring that the lights operate at these levels consistently, smoothly and without any visible flickering. | 10-04-2012 |
20120280625 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR ACTIVE THERMAL MANAGEMENT - The present disclosure is directed to a solution providing active thermal management that has multiple innovations and advantages. In some aspects, the design of the active thermal management (ATM) device is not a threshold clamp and instead, is a non-linear equation that proportionally changes relative to the dimming input. In some aspects, the innovation of the ATM design is how ATM works while the light is being dimmed. The design anticipates overheating by reducing power before the product gets to the maximum temperature threshold. The design also may include an equation that predicts the LED die temperature as a function of product case temperature. The ATM may operate responsive to one or more of a plurality of profile or power curves | 11-08-2012 |
20140024249 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR CONNECTOR ENABLING VERTICAL REMOVAL - Apparatus and related methods for serially and removably connecting a plurality of electrical fixtures. An exemplary apparatus includes a connector housing having a mounting surface, a first set of electrical contacts positioned, at least in part, in the connector housing, a second set of electrical contacts positioned, at least in part, in the connector housing, and a plurality of conductive member extending from the first set of electrical contacts to the second set of electrical contacts, such that a first electrical fixture removably connected to the first set of electrical contacts is in serial electrical communication with a second electrical fixture removably connected to the second set of electrical contacts. | 01-23-2014 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080208342 | SPINAL IMPLANT - An implant is provided that includes a body having a convex and tapered leading end, a convex trailing end, opposing generally planar sides extending between the leading and trailing ends and superior and inferior surfaces. An opening extends through the body between the superior and inferior surfaces. The implant further includes a plurality of protrusions provided on each of the superior and inferior surfaces. Each protrusion has a flattened distal surface. The leading end includes first and second inclined surfaces and an intermediate surface, with the first inclined surface sloping downward from the superior surface to the intermediate surface and the second inclined surface sloping upward from the inferior surface to the intermediate surface. | 08-28-2008 |
20110071635 | COMPOSITE IMPLANT - A composite interbody vertebral implant for facilitating fusion of adjacent vertebrae. The implant includes a first endplate of a porous metal material and a second endplate of a porous metal material which are configured to allow bone ingrowth. The implant also includes a polymeric body positioned between and bonded to the first and second endplates such that polymeric material of the polymeric body is impregnated into pores of the first and second endplates to bond the components together. The implant may include a cavity extending through the composite implant configured to receive bone growth material to facilitate fusion between a first vertebra and a second vertebra. | 03-24-2011 |
20130116792 | COMPOSITE IMPLANT - A composite interbody vertebral implant for facilitating fusion of adjacent vertebrae. The implant includes a first endplate of a porous metal material and a second endplate of a porous metal material which are configured to allow bone in-growth. The implant also includes a polymeric body positioned between and bonded to the first and second endplates such that polymeric material of the polymeric body is impregnated into pores of the first and second endplates to bond the components together. The implant may include a cavity extending through the composite implant configured to receive bone growth material to facilitate fusion between a first vertebra and a second vertebra. | 05-09-2013 |
20130218280 | COMPOSITE IMPLANT - A composite interbody vertebral implant for facilitating fusion of adjacent vertebrae. The implant includes a first endplate of a porous metal material and a second endplate of a porous metal material which are configured to allow bone in-growth. The implant also includes a polymeric body positioned between and bonded to the first and second endplates such that polymeric material of the polymeric body is impregnated into pores of the first and second endplates to bond the components together. The implant may include a cavity extending through the composite implant configured to receive bone growth material to facilitate fusion between a first vertebra and a second vertebra. | 08-22-2013 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20120034027 | ROTARY FLEXURE BEARING - This rotary flexure bearing is a monolithic structure with inner and outer hubs connected by unique rotary compound flexure stages. These rotary compound flexure stages provide the angular compliance required for bearing rotation as well as compliance for flexure foreshortening while holding a constant axis of rotation with great precision over the entire range of motion. This design offers large angular displacement, low operating stress, low operating torque, and high stiffness in the five noncompliant degrees of freedom. The rotary flexure bearing described herein has applications in precision mechanics, particularly opto-mechanics. Specific applications include but are not limited to wafer and reticle alignment stages used in microlithography systems, mirror pointing and scanning mechanisms used in tactical and spaceborne systems, as well as flip-in mechanisms used in multiple field of view optical systems. | 02-09-2012 |
20130015616 | LINEAR FLEXURE BEARINGAANM Valois; MichaelAACI LancasterAAST MAAACO USAAGP Valois; Michael Lancaster MA US - This compound linear flexure bearing incorporates a simple but unique flexure arrangement which inherently allows stable long travel operation. The flexure arrangement passively constrains all degrees of freedom except translation along the bearing axis while also compensating for flexure foreshortening. This design permits large displacement, low operating stress, low operating force, and high stiffness in the five noncompliant degrees of freedom. The linear flexure bearing described herein has applications in precision mechanics, particularly opto-mechanics. Specific applications include but are not limited to wafer and reticle positioning stages used in microlithography systems, optic translation and scanning mechanisms used in tactical and spaceborne systems, as well as flip-in mechanisms used in multiple field of view optical systems | 01-17-2013 |