Patents Represented by Attorney Thomas A. Runk
  • Patent number: 5702262
    Abstract: An insulating member has two (2) spring arms each normally biased to a first position and each pivotable to a second position. A pin in a housing at one end of the spring arms provides the spring arm pivot fulcrum. Resilient electrical conductors extend through apertures in the other ends of the spring arms. Looped portions in the conductors at positions beyond the apertures resiliently engage, respectively, probes and shield casings in a pair of electrical connectors when the spring arms are biased to the first positions. Additional looped portions in the conductors at positions between the apertures may be fixedly positioned relative to the housing by an insulating pin extending into the housing to the approximate center of such additional looped portions. The probes and shield casings are included in coaxial connectors disposed within the housing. The connectors include insulators between the probes and the shield casings. The connectors are coaxial with a pair of barrels disposed within the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 1996
    Date of Patent: December 30, 1997
    Assignee: Trompeter Electronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Gregory S. Brown, Frank Quach, Jose Silva
  • Patent number: 5680718
    Abstract: The front end of a body portion on a hat (e.g. cap) may be continuous and the rear end may have separable sections. The hat may have a visor to form a cap defined by two (2) cloth layers separated by a backing member (e.g. cardboard). The backing member and the visor lower layer may have matching apertures to receive a module defined by a container and a cover pivotable on the container between open and closed positions. A switch, a battery and a printed circuit board may be disposed in the container. The switch may be manually closed, with the container closed, to energize electrical circuitry on the board. Such energizing may illuminate a member (e.g. LED) preferably disposed on the body portion and optically coupled to a display member to illuminate an individual design on the display member. The display member may be attached to the continuous front external surface of the body portion. Alternatively, the hat may have a band on the internal surface of the body portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 1994
    Date of Patent: October 28, 1997
    Assignee: First Choice Trading Limited
    Inventors: William R. Ratcliffe, William Blake Ratcliffe, Erik Loose
  • Patent number: 5087245
    Abstract: The system and method for detecting abnormalities in infusion of parenteral fluid involves producing perturbation of fluid flow by varying the flow rate of the fluid with respect to an equilibrium flow rate, measuring the pressure level, and measuring the pressure of the fluid over a period of time, to determine equilibrium pressure and a pressure response of the fluid to the perturbation, determining an integral of the difference between the equilibrium pressure and the pressure response, determining resistance to fluid flow, determining a second integral of the difference between the pressure response and equilibrium pressure multiplied by time, and determining compliance by dividing the second integral by the first integral. Resistance and compliance values are displayed, and an alarm is generated when the resistance or compliance parameters fall outside of reference ranges.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 1989
    Date of Patent: February 11, 1992
    Assignee: Ivac Corporation
    Inventor: David Doan
  • Patent number: 4878033
    Abstract: A gallium arsenide MESFET amplifier circuit employing a parallel feedback network having first and second transmission line section filtering networks connected on either side of a series R-C-R circuit. In one optimized embodiment, the transmission line sections each include low and high impedances unequal in length to one-quarter wavelength. The use of two discrete resistors, together with the filtering networks to eliminate thermal noise generated by the resistors, provides optimum gain, low noise, and stable operation over a wide range of microwave frequencies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 1988
    Date of Patent: October 31, 1989
    Assignee: Hughes Aircraft Company
    Inventor: Joseph S. Wong
  • Patent number: 4862014
    Abstract: A device-implemented method for driving a ferrimagnetic load (10), such as a phase shifter in an antenna array, which precisely meters the amount of magnetic flux imparted to the load (10) by sensing the voltage applied to a winding and integrating the sensed voltage over time. The time intergrated voltage is proportional to the magnetic flux imparted to the load (10) and is constantly compared to a preprogrammed value stored in a memory (18). When the sensed voltage reaches the preprogrammed value, the voltage is removed from the load (10) so that a metered amount of magnetic flux, proportional to the preprogrammed value, remains in the load (10). The load (10) is initially reset by delivering current in one direction through its winding until saturation is reached. The load (10) is set with a metered amount of magnetic flux by delivering current in the opposite direction through the winding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 1988
    Date of Patent: August 29, 1989
    Assignee: Hughes Aircraft Company
    Inventors: Terrence L. Myers, William A. Harrington
  • Patent number: 4849763
    Abstract: An electrically scanned phased array with low sidelobes and tapered aperture illumination is disclosed. The array is fed by a uniform corporate feed network (55) and includes a main array aperture formed by main radiating elements (72-75) and first and second ancillary arrays formed by ancillary radiating elements (70-71) and (76-77). For a linear aperture, the outputs from the feed network (55) are phase shifted to steer the beam to one of the available beam locations, and coupled to corresponding ones of the main array radiating elements (72-75) and the ancillary array radiating elements (70-71or 76-77). The beam steering phase shifts invoke uniform phase gradients between the elements of the respective array, and bi-state phase correctors (85-88) are provided to correct for phase gradient discontinuities across the main and ancillary array apertures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 1987
    Date of Patent: July 18, 1989
    Assignee: Hughes Aircraft Company
    Inventor: Edward C. DuFort
  • Patent number: 4834512
    Abstract: A three-dimensional display is disclosed which uses a variable focal length lens through which two-dimensional images of an object are viewed. In one embodiment, a sequence of different images representative of cross sections of the object along its depth dimension are presented by a two-dimensional display apparatus such as a high resolution CRT. The viewer sees these two-dimensional images of the object through the variable focal length lens. The focal length of the lens is changed in synchronization with the two-dimensional images such that each cross section image is seen at a different focal length, thus resulting in a three-dimensional image of the object. The rate of change of the two-dimensional images and the focal length of the lens is higher than the retention rate of the eye of the viewer, thus the images presented appear to fuse into a coherent three-dimensional image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 1984
    Date of Patent: May 30, 1989
    Assignee: Hughes Aircraft Company
    Inventor: Fred L. Austin
  • Patent number: 4835493
    Abstract: A radio frequency (RF) carrier wave is successively divided and the divided parts are non-linearly, phase modulated in response to a modulating signal. The modulating signal is linearized so that the output of the circuit is linear with the modulating signal and then drives differential drivers to control voltage controlled phase shifters in pairs to differentially phase shift the divided RF signals. These phase shifted signals may be efficiently amplified in non-linear, Class C, RF power amplifiers. After amplification the signals are differentially re-combined in an inverse binary tree of hybrid combiners to produce a synthesis output signal. This synthesis output signal is equivalent to the amplitude modulation, and the amplification, of the RF input signal. By operation of the circuit apparatus in accordance with the invention, amplitude modulation at wide bandwidths including hundreds of megahertz may typically be accomplished on microwave RF signals of high power levels including several kilowatts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 1987
    Date of Patent: May 30, 1989
    Assignee: Hughes Aircraft Company
    Inventor: Kenneth A. Walsh, Jr.
  • Patent number: 4825219
    Abstract: Disclosed is a circular waveguide in which a slots are formed which are shaped and disposed such that they interrupt either the right hand or left hand circulating mode (RC and LC respectively) residing in the waveguide. Locating the slots in the waveguide wall is accomplished in accordance with the theory that for TE modes in circular waveguide with circumferential variation of e.sup..+-.jm.phi., current flow lines are produced that are helical. The slots are located so as to interrupt the helical current of the desired mode. In one embodiment, an ortho-polarization mode transducer and a circular polarizer are used to feed the slotted waveguide. By control of the amplitude and phase of the energy propagating in the waveguide, aximuthal pattern control can be effected. By dielectric loading the waveguide to make .lambda..sub.g in the loaded waveguide equal to .lambda.-free space, endfire radiation can be achieved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 1987
    Date of Patent: April 25, 1989
    Assignee: Hughes Aircraft Company
    Inventor: James S. Ajioka
  • Patent number: 4825175
    Abstract: Disclosed is a power divider/combiner using two parallel plate radial transmission lines having parallel plate spacing of less than .lambda./2 and which operates in a higher order mode, preferably the first higher order circumferential mode TE.sub.11. High isolation between amplifiers coupled to the radial transmission lines at their circumferences is achieved by coupling an arrangement of circulators between the amplifiers and the radial transmission lines. This isolation arrangement reduces the effects of any spurious signals that are generated by means such as imperfections and imbalances in any active devices coupled to the radial line and permits de-energizing amplifiers as desired for lowering power output without degrading performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 1987
    Date of Patent: April 25, 1989
    Assignee: Hughes Aircraft Company
    Inventors: George I. Tsuda, James S. Ajioka
  • Patent number: 4818958
    Abstract: A compact, dual series waveguide feed network is disclosed which has application to monopulse radar antennas and is usable in applications requiring compact and light weight feed networks. The network in accordance with the invention uses phase shifters at the phase reversal points of the secondary (42) feed lines to establish a 180.degree. relative phase difference with the corresponding phase reversal point of the primary feed line. No phase shifters are used in the crossguide feed lines (44). Because of the invention's phase shifter arrangement, crossguide lines (44) may be located directly opposite each other instead of being staggered as in prior techniques; hence the size of the network is reduced and resolution is increased. Also, the primary and secondary feed lines may be located closer together because there are no phase shifters with associated matching and transition devices located in the crossguide feed lines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 1987
    Date of Patent: April 4, 1989
    Assignee: Hughes Aircraft Company
    Inventors: Kuan M. Lee, William L. Lange, Stan W. Livingston
  • Patent number: 4814773
    Abstract: In a radar having electrical transmitting and receiving circuitry, and an antenna for the radiation of microwave signals, there is provided an optical feed system which couples the antenna with the transmitting and receiving circuitry. The feed system includes a set of optical multiplexers interconnected by sets of optical fibers. Microwave energy of the radar is converted to optical radiation for communication to the antenna, and then converted back to the microwave energy. Electro-optic modulators and photoelectric detectors provide for the energy conversion. A plurality of signals, including both signals having the transmit waveform as well as control signals, can be simultaneously coupled via the optical fibers by utilization of radiation of differing frequencies. The multiplexers include dichroic mirrors for separation of the radiations of the differing frequencies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 1983
    Date of Patent: March 21, 1989
    Assignee: Hughes Aircraft Company
    Inventors: Michael Wechsberg, Adrian E. Popa
  • Patent number: 4812782
    Abstract: Disclosed is a parallel plate radial transmission line having parallel plate spacing of less than .lambda./2 and which utilizes a specific higher order mode, preferably the first higher order circumferential mode. Undesired modes are suppressed by mode supression slots formed in one or both of the parallel plates and which are oriented parallel to the current flow lines of the particular mode that is used. These slots have a negligible effect on the mode being used but they couple out other modes that are generated by means such as by imperfections and imbalances in any active devices coupled to the radial line. A centrally located feed is used to launch circularly polarized energy of the TE.sub.11 mode in the particular circumferential mode in the radial line. The feed may also receive circularly polarized energy of the particular circumferential mode in the radial line, linearly polarize that received energy and conduct it in the TE.sub.11 mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 1987
    Date of Patent: March 14, 1989
    Assignee: Hughes Aircraft Company
    Inventor: James S. Ajioka
  • Patent number: 4812789
    Abstract: A wideband balanced diplexer splits an incoming wideband microwave frequency signal into separate upper and lower frequency outputs and possesses a sharp band cut-off to increase effective bandwidth. The diplexer includes a pair of waveguide assemblies for separating the upper frequency band from the incoming signal. Each waveguide assembly includes a tuneable, ridged waveguide phase shifter for shifting the phase of the lower frequency band, a reference waveguide for inserting a delay onto the upper frequency signal in order to compensate for the effects of the phase shifter in the other waveguide assembly, and a high pass filter. The high pass filter includes a ridged waveguide having tapered ends of a shape comprising an exponential function raised to a cosine squared power to increase the bandwidth of the upper frequencies and to provide a sharper frequency cut-off.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 1988
    Date of Patent: March 14, 1989
    Assignee: Hughes Aircraft Company
    Inventor: Kuan M. Lee
  • Patent number: 4810904
    Abstract: A sample-and-hold phase detector (30, 80, 90, 100, 110) which includes sample-and-hold circuitry (FIG. 6) having variable efficiency. Specifically, the sample-and-hold circuitry provides a sampling pulse of variable width which is controlled to be wider during acquisition and narrower during steady-state operation. Also provided is protection circuitry to neutralize leakage of the input signal to the output of the circuit when a sample control signal is not present.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 1988
    Date of Patent: March 7, 1989
    Assignee: Hughes Aircraft Company
    Inventor: James A. Crawford
  • Patent number: 4771248
    Abstract: A phase-locked frequency synthesizer (10) having a voltage controlled oscillator (40), a divider circuit (60), and a sample-and-hold phase detector (30, 80, 90, 100, 110) which utilizes gain compensation (90,110) for optimizing phase-locking speed. The sample-and-hold circuit (FIG. 6) also includes circuitry for substantially reducing perturbations at its output. The frequency synthesizer further includes control circuitry (70) and a reference frequency generator (20) for quickly reinitializing the synthesizer in response to a command to change frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 1986
    Date of Patent: September 13, 1988
    Assignee: Hughes Aircraft Company
    Inventors: James A. Crawford, Gary D. Frey
  • Patent number: 4767003
    Abstract: A protective container is disclosed which includes an integral pocket for holding identification material relating to the contents of the container. The pocket and an associated tab over the pocket opening position the identification material such that bar code graphs or magnetic media mounted thereon can be easily read and accessed without requiring that the container be opened or removed from a stack of containers. In the disclosed embodiment, static protective foam liners are used to support the contents as well as provide an electrical path for any charge accumulated on the contents. The container is formed of an optically transparent material which is also static protective in nature. A viewing means is provided in the container and internal support means so that the presence or absence of any contents can be rapidly determined without opening the container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 1987
    Date of Patent: August 30, 1988
    Assignee: Hughes Aircraft Company
    Inventors: Allyn B. Rice, Ronald L. Johnson, Milton J. Peterman
  • Patent number: 4766438
    Abstract: A lens antenna having four phased array apertures positioned for hemispherical coverage is disclosed. An array of phase shifters is disclosed, each of which is interconnected with four radiating elements, one on each of the four apertures. A feed horn is used to feed the lens and switches in the lens are used to switch the energy received from the feed horn to the phase shifter, and after phase shifting, to a selected aperture for radiation. The switches also perform a reciprocal function by switching energy received at an aperture to the phase shifter and then to an aperture for radiation to the feed horn. In a further embodiment, the mounting of transmitting and receiving components, such as a high power amplifier and a low noise amplifier, with a combination of DPDT switches in the lens is disclosed and results in a solid state T/R type antenna array. In one embodiment, the switches enable the lens to radiate from three of the apertures for a scan angle of 270 degrees from a single feed horn.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 1987
    Date of Patent: August 23, 1988
    Assignee: Hughes Aircraft Company
    Inventor: Raymond Tang
  • Patent number: 4740792
    Abstract: A vehicle locating system (VLS) comprises a large number, for example, several million, vehicle-mounted transmitters and several benchmark transmitters; first, second and third signal relay stations and a central processing station at which the transmitter locations are determined, the central station being connected by conventional links to subscriber stations. One hundred microsecond-long RF signals are transmitted by each transmitter in a non-synchronized, mutually random manner. Each signal comprises a 20 microsecond synchronization symbol followed by six, four bit transmitter indentification symbols, each of ten microseconds length. Following the indentification symbols are 10 microsecond message and processing symbols. The control station includes correlation means for correlating the synchronization symbols on each relayed signal against stored data to identify the beginnings of the signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 1986
    Date of Patent: April 26, 1988
    Assignee: Hughes Aircraft Company
    Inventors: William E. Sagey, Harold V. Lind, Carl E. Lind
  • Patent number: 4734891
    Abstract: The aft drogue module (18) of the towed sonar array has a body (20) as its main length. The body (20) contains strength member (26) which is covered by an extruded tube (28) of rubberlike material which is covered by braid (30) and which, in turn, is covered by extruded abrasion-resistant cover sleeve (32). At its forward end, the strength member is expanded into the conical interior of coupling (22). The tail (56) is attached to the body and contains fill material (60) which damps and is sufficiently stiff to inhibit whipping during towing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 1986
    Date of Patent: March 29, 1988
    Assignee: Hughes Aircraft Company
    Inventors: George A. McGowan, David B. MacCulloch