Koninklijke Philips Corporation N.v.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Philips Electronics North America Corporation

Solectria Corporation

Talking Lights, LLC

Roderick T Hinman

Steven B Leeb

Elmer C Lupton

Al-Thaddeus Avestruz

Gary Livshin

John Rodriguez

Chin Chang

Nels R Peterson

Martin F Schlecht

Gill A Pratt

George B Hovorka

Deron Jackson

James D Worden

Mes Peterson

Ricardo Espinosa

The present invention relates to the dual-use of radiation, for example, but not limited to, visible or infrared light, for both a conventional application, e.g., illumination, combined with the additional or 'dual-use' application of transmitting information without wires.

Multi-frequency dual-use system

A system for and method of generating electromagnetic radiation in which the radiation has both a first and second utility. The electromagnetic radiation is modulated to produce electronically detectable variations to achieve the second utility, the variations not affecting the first utility. In one embodiment, the electromagnetic radiation is visible light. In this embodiment, the first utility is illumination and the second utility is the transmission of data. In another embodiment, the invention provides a lamp for generating visible light capable of providing illumination and transmitting data to a receiver. Any variations in the visible light resulting from the data transmission are imperceptible by a human eye regardless of the nature of the data being transmitted. In yet another embodiment, a power line carrier modem or wireless network may be used with the present invention to transmit information to the source.

Communication with non-flickering illumination

A lamp ballast for energizing a lamp has short circuit protection. The lamp ballast contains a transformer that provides an output voltage to the lamp. The transformer has a primary winding, a secondary winding, and a third sense winding. The third sense winding has an output that provides an indication of transformer output voltage. A reference voltage circuit creates a reference voltage that provides an indication of a non-short circuited lamp ballast condition. A comparator compares the reference voltage and the output of the third sense winding to provide an indication if the third sense winding output is below the reference. This indicates if there is a short in the output of the lamp ballast. The secondary is wound on multiple sections of a bobbin with one section being a low voltage section. The sense winding is wound under the secondary in the bobbin secondary low voltage section. The ballast additionally has a track and hold circuit to prevent an indication of a short in the lamp voltage when the lamp voltage is dimmed with a dimming circuit. The ballast also has a preheat logic signal to prevent a short circuit indication during the preheat mode at startup.

Short circuit protection for multiple lamp LCD backlight ballasts with PWM dimming

A system for enabling an apparatus having a feedback loop to resume steady state operation after feedback loop interruption without the occurrence of transients, the system generally comprising a first circuit for applying a state variable to a load and a second circuit for (i) controlling the first circuit, (ii) monitoring the state variable applied to the load, and (iii) controlling the first circuit to regulate the state variable applied to the load in accordance with a desired state variable. The first and second circuits and the load define a feedback loop. The second circuit further includes an input for receiving a control signal that has a first state that causes the second circuit to enable the first circuit to apply the state variable to the load and a second state that causes the second circuit to inhibit the first circuit from applying the state variable to the load thereby interrupting the feedback loop. The system further comprises a third circuit for storing the applied state variable and preventing decay of the stored state variable during interruption of the feedback loop. The feedback loop resumes operation and returns to a steady state operation in accordance with the stored state variable when the control signal returns to the first state thereby substantially preventing the occurrence of transients from being introduced into the system.

System for substantially eliminating transients upon resumption of feedback loop steady state operation after feedback loop interruption

In accordance with the present invention, an electric vehicle drive control system is provided. The system of the present invention controls the supply of actuating power to an electric motor for driving the vehicle. One preferred embodiment of the system permits a user to temporarily override a previously selected maximum power usage level for the motor so as to permit the amount of power supplied to the motor to be increased to a higher maximum power usage level.

Vehicle drive control system

A logic circuit is driven by a single alternating voltage power supply so that the energy stored in parasitic capacitances can be mostly recovered, rather than dissipated, as in conventional logic designs. Successive stages of the logic circuit are of opposite conductivity types such that the successive stages are activated in alternate half cycles of the power supply without separate clock signals. Each stage of the logic circuit is precharged during a respective first half cycle of the power supply and is active in logical processing during a second half cycle. The half cycles are defined by the rising and falling edges of the power supply. The logic circuit resonates with an inductor coupled across the power supply but closely coupled to the logic circuit. This inductor and the method of charging and discharging the capacitors in the logic circuit serve to minimize the power dissipated during logical processing.

Recovered energy logic circuits

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Natick, MA, United States of America

Roderick T Hinman