Energy Focus, Inc. Patent applications |
Patent application number | Title | Published |
20160113076 | LED LAMP WITH DUAL MODE OPERATION - An LED lamp has dual modes of operation from fluorescent lamp fixtures. A first circuit powers at least one LED in a first mode of operation when first and second power connector pins at a first end of the lamp are inserted into power receptacles of the fixture that are directly connected to power mains. A second circuit powers at least one LED in a second mode of operation when the second power connector pin at the first end of the lamp and a third power connector pin at a second end of the lamp are inserted into power receptacles of a fixture powered from an electronic ballast. First and second conduction control means permit the second circuit to power at least one LED during the second mode of operation. | 04-21-2016 |
20160109070 | LED LAMP WITH DUAL MODE OPERATION - An LED lamp has dual modes of operation from fluorescent lamp fixtures. A first circuit powers at least one LED in a first mode of operation when first and second power pins at a first end of the lamp are inserted into power contacts of the fixture that are directly connected to power mains. A second circuit powers at least one LED in a second mode of operation when the second power pin at the first end of the lamp and a third power pin at a second end of the lamp are inserted into power contacts of a fixture powered from an electronic ballast. First and second conduction control means permit the second circuit to power at least one LED during the second mode of operation. | 04-21-2016 |
20140077722 | LED Lamp System - Disclosed is an LED lamp system designed to fit into a fluorescent lamp fixture and to utilize a fluorescent lamp power supply contained in the fixture and receiving power from AC mains. The LED lamp system includes an LED driver which comprises a power factor corrected driver circuit for achieving a power factor of at least about 0.8. The LED driver further comprises a current control circuit, responsive to the presence of a three-wire magnetic ballast in the fluorescent lamp power supply, for increasing the LED operating current above the nominal rated LED operating current and to a level sufficient to achieve power factor of the LED driver of at least about 0.8. | 03-20-2014 |
20130343079 | Elongated LED Lighting Arrangement - An elongated LED lighting arrangement comprises an elongated fiberoptic light pipe having an exteriorly facing sidewall between its ends. The light pipe is constructed to promote TIR of light between the ends. A first LED light source is tuned to efficiently provide light within a wavelength range to the pipe. Light-extracting means are applied along the light pipe along the main path of TIR light propagation, and comprise down-converting means tuned to efficiently convert light rays from the LED light source within the wavelength range to lower-energy light rays at respectively longer wavelengths and light-scattering means for extracting from the pipe some light rays within the wavelength range without changing the wavelengths of the foregoing light. The light emitted by the down-converting means and the light-scattering means intermix to produce light, the majority of which has a composite color determined by the foregoing light emitted and the foregoing light extracted. | 12-26-2013 |
20120163013 | Elongated LED Lighting Arrangement - An elongated LED lighting arrangement comprises an elongated light pipe with homogeneous optical material between first and second ends. In an exemplary embodiment, an LED provides blue light to the light pipe via a first dichroic mirror tuned to pass blue light. Down-converting means on sidewall of the light pipe, tuned to receive blue light, absorbs blue light from the LED and to emit lower-energy light outside of the light pipe at respectively higher wavelengths. Light-extracting means on the sidewall extract from the light pipe some blue light without changing the wavelengths of the foregoing light. Light from the down-converting means and the light-extracting means are combined to provide a composite color. The first dichroic mirror receives some light emitted by the down-converting means and reflects back into the light pipe more than 80 percent of the light received by the mirror. | 06-28-2012 |
20120086411 | Switching Power Supply Circuit with Reduced Total Harmonic Distortion - A switching power supply circuit has a control circuit for current-mode on-off control of a primary switch connected to an inductor in a voltage boost topology for operation in boundary-conduction mode. The time at which the primary switch is opened is determined by magnitude of current flowing through the primary switch together with the instantaneous voltage present on an AC input to the power supply circuit. The time at which the primary switch is closed is determined by demagnetization of the inductor. An improvement to the foregoing switching power supply circuit comprises a maximum-on-time enforcement circuit to limit the maximum possible primary switch on-time to a predetermined maximum period of time. The enforcement circuit provides a signal to the control circuit to cause termination of the primary switch on-state if and only if the primary switch has been turned on for more than the predetermined maximum period of time. | 04-12-2012 |
20120063160 | Effiency and quality by applying light extraction means to the collection portion of a linear luminaire - Improved side-light distribution systems are disclosed. In one embodiment, an efficient side-light distribution system includes a LED light source; a light coupler for receiving light from the LED light source at a first end and providing light at a second end to an elongated light pipe, and the elongated light pipe receives light from the LED light source at a first end and transmitting the light towards a second end. The coupler transforms at least the angular distribution of at least 70% of the light from the LED light source into an appropriate angular distribution needed for total internal reflection at a second end within the elongated light pipe. The light coupler includes a light-extraction means between the first and second ends of the light coupler for extracting light out of a side of the light coupler. At least part of the light within the light pipe is extracted out of a side of the light pipe, between the first and second ends of the light pipe, by a light-extraction means. | 03-15-2012 |
20120063158 | Elongated Lighting System - Elongated lighting system comprises an elongated light pipe having first and second ends, with light supplied to those ends by at least one light source, via first and second light couplers that condition light to increase reflections within the light pipe. Light-extraction structure on the light pipe extracts light from the side of the pipe. An indentation in the light pipe has a depth and has surfaces oriented with respect to the pipe so as (1) to redirect light from the first light source that reaches the indentation after passing once through a plane adjacent the indentation, back through the plane and towards the first end; and (2) to sufficiently increase the average angular distribution of light reflected from the indentation and passing back through the plane as would cause at least 50 percent more reflections of the foregoing light within the pipe in the absence of the light-extraction structure. | 03-15-2012 |
20120044675 | Elongated LED Lamp - An elongated LED lamp includes an elongated side-light distribution arrangement least three sequentially arranged side-light distribution portions; a plurality of LED light sources respectively associated with said portions by having one LED light source primarily illuminating a respective portion, via a light coupling means, when the central axes of light emission from each of the LED light sources are not aligned with each other and by having one or a spaced pair of LED light sources, each located at an end of the portion, primarily illuminating a respective portion, via a light coupling means, when the associated LED light sources have central axes of light transmission aligned with each other; and each respective light coupling means transforms at least 15% of received light into an appropriate angular distribution needed for total internal reflection within an associated side-light distribution portion. | 02-23-2012 |
20120044666 | Elongated LED Lamp for Replacing a Fluorescent Lamp - An elongated LED lamp suitable for replacing a fluorescent lamp in a lamp fixture comprises a chassis having a first chassis end with two electrodes adapted to be respectively coupled to two electrodes in the lamp fixture supplying AC power, and a second chassis end. A light source depends from the chassis. A power regulating circuit is mounted to the chassis and is coupled to the two electrodes for providing DC power to the first light source. A first light collector conditions the light it collects light from the first light source for TIR propagation within a side-light distribution arrangement. An elongated side-light distribution portion depends from the chassis and receives light exiting the first light collector. Light-extraction structure extract light from the side of the first portion, along a length of the first portion, in a different direction from the direction of light received from the first light collector. | 02-23-2012 |
20120043677 | Method for Making a Combined Light Coupler and Light Pipe - A method for making a combined light coupler and light pipe comprises providing a mold with an elongated chamber having two ends and having an appropriate shape to form the combined light coupler and light pipe. The formed light pipe has an elongated shape. The formed light coupler has an inlet end for receiving light and an outlet end for transmitting light to the light pipe, and is shaped in such a way as to transform at least 70% of the light it receives into an appropriate angular distribution needed for total internal reflection within the light pipe. A cross-linkable polymer having a weight average molecular weight ranging from about 2,000 to about 250,000 daltons is provided. At least part of the chamber of the mold is filled and contacted with the polymer, which is then cross-linked, such that the formed light coupler and light pipe have a unitary construction. | 02-23-2012 |
20110304296 | Light-Powered Transmitter Assembly - Disclosed is a light-powered transmitter assembly for transmitting a wireless signal relating to received light. The assembly comprises a photovoltaic device and an energy storage device connected to the photovoltaic device for receiving charge from the photovoltaic device. A threshold charge-sensing circuit connects to the energy storage device for making a determination whenever the charge of the energy storage device reaches a threshold level. A transmitting circuit, responsive to the threshold charge-sensing circuit, transmits a wireless signal that is indicative of the energy storage device having reached the threshold level of charge and that uniquely identifies the wireless signal as corning from the light-powered transmitter assembly. The transmitting circuit is at least partially powered from energy received from the energy storage device. An interval between two successive ones of the determinations is a function of average intensity of light received by the photovoltaic device. | 12-15-2011 |
20110192005 | Method of Making an Arrangement for Collecting or Emitting Light - Disclosed is a method of making an arrangement for collecting or emitting light. A flexible sheet of material serves as substrate for a plurality of light collecting or emitting devices mounted in spaced relation on the sheet. The sheet has thereon electrical leads for interconnection to each device. For each device, a respective light coupler is formed by (1) forming a plurality of reflectors on the sheet around the intended periphery of the respective device, by applying reflective material to selected areas of the sheet; (2) forming cut lines around selected edges of the plurality of reflectors; (3) forming fold lines associated with the reflectors; and (4) folding the reflectors and attached substrate away from the substrate portion on which the device is mounted, to form a coupler whose interior is reflective and that is substantially closed around a main axis of light propagation into or from the respective device. | 08-11-2011 |
20110140915 | Distributed Personalized Energy and Carbon Accounting and Feedback System - Disclosed is a system for providing personalized energy usage feedback. The system comprises an arrangement to determine respective energy-usage of a specific person for each of a plurality of energy-consuming devices. The foregoing arrangement comprises power-usage sensors for the plurality of energy-consuming devices, an allocation arrangement for determining an estimated or measured allocation of power for each energy-consuming device that is attributable to the specific person, and an arrangement for determining the length of time of power usage that is attributable to the specific person. A feedback arrangement provides feedback to the specific person of all or a subset of the respective energy-usage attributable to that person. | 06-16-2011 |
20110038145 | LED Fixture with Passive Cooling - Disclosed is an LED fixture with passive cooling. The fixture includes a plurality of elongated tubes, each containing an array of LEDs mounted on a respective first surface or surfaces of one or more circuit boards. A frame mounts to a building structure and holds the ends of the tubes. Each tube is sufficiently spaced from any adjacent tube and from any other structure of the frame, and the frame is sufficiently open at the top and bottom, whereby heat from the tubes is capable of being dissipated merely by passive thermal transfer into an air flow created by the heat of the tubes, which air flow moves from beneath the tubes to above the tubes. | 02-17-2011 |
20110030778 | Method of Passivating and Reducing Reflectance of a Photovoltaic Cell - Disclosed is a method of passivating and reducing reflectance of a silicon photovoltaic cell. The method includes the step of providing a silicon wafer of a solar cell having a major surface. A passivation layer of silicon nitride is applied on at least 98 percent of the major surface through a vacuum deposition process. An index-matching film structure, different from silicon nitride, is applied on top of the passivation layer. The index matching film structure provides the majority of the antireflective property of the combination of the passivation layer and the index matching film structure. | 02-10-2011 |
20100313955 | Method of Making Solar Collector Assemblies with Optical Concentrator Encapsulant - Disclosed is a method of making solar collector assemblies for photovoltaic conversion. The method comprises providing a mold for receiving encapsulant, the mold having serially arranged, alternating peaks and valleys. A respective PV solar cell is placed into each of a series of the valleys such that the light-receiving surfaces of the PV solar cells face upwards. Uncured encapsulant is delivered into the mold and onto the light-receiving surfaces, and from the light-receiving surfaces to a level at least as high as the peaks so as to form, above the light-receiving surfaces, optical concentrators for concentrating light received by the optical concentrators and directing the light to the light-receiving surfaces. The encapsulant is then cured. | 12-16-2010 |
20100275999 | Photovoltaic Conversion Assembly with Concentrating Optics - A photovoltaic conversion assembly comprises an optical slab with first and second major surfaces and an intermediate surface therebetween. Light energy to be collected impinges as incoming photons on the first major surface. At least one PV cell is mounted to receive light energy from the intermediate surface of the optical slab and convert such light energy to electrical energy. The PV cell has a highest band gap E. A down-converting structure is located on the second major surface of the slab for converting to lower energy light received through the slab, with at least about 75 percent of the converted light having an energy level above the band gap E. A two-way spectrally selective reflector, located proximate the first major surface, cooperates with the down-converting structure for preventing high angle light from undesirably exiting the optical slab via the first major surface. | 11-04-2010 |
20100244735 | Lighting Device Supplying Temporally Appropriate Light - A lighting device operable to supply temporally appropriate light to a user comprises a light socket adapter interposed between a primary socket and a first type of lamp. The primary socket is connected to a switchable supply of electrical power. A first type of lamp includes wavelengths below 530 nm that are suppressive of melatonin production in a user viewing the light. There is a second type of lamp that supplies light substantially all above 530 nm so as to avoid suppressing melatonin production in a user viewing the light. The light socket adapter has at least one mode of operation in which automatic means causes the first and second types of lamp to be exclusively operable during respective predetermined periods of time. | 09-30-2010 |
20090078442 | ELECTRICAL JUNCTION BOX COVER SYSTEM FOR USE NEAR WATER - An electrical junction box cover system includes a waterproof dome-like covering lid allowing the system to be installed near water. The system also includes a manual power switch with a manual actuator installed on the outside of the covering lid and accessible to the user. The switch actuator has three positions, wherein the actuator in the first position turns an external load circuit on, in the second position it turns the external circuit off, and in the third position it enables the remotely controlled operation of the external circuit. A remote control receiver with an electronic control module and an electric power switch are included in the system as an assembly in order to allow a remotely controlled operation of the system. | 03-26-2009 |