Patents by Inventor Benjamin G. McMahon

Benjamin G. McMahon 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: 11811130
    Abstract: An antenna positioner provided on a deployable vehicle. The antenna positioner includes a base and a frame having a plurality of plates oriented at an angle relative to one another. Each plate may include a low band antenna and a high band antenna. The base is located inside a chamber of the deployable vehicle. The frame is movable relative to the base between a collapsed position, where the entire frame is positioned within the chamber, and an extended position wherein at least a portion of the frame extends outwardly through an opening in the deployable vehicle's exterior wall. The frame is pivotally engaged with the base and a gearing mechanism pivots the frame between the collapsed position and the extended position to arrange the antennas at a desired orientation relative to the deployable vehicle's exterior wall so as to maximize the antenna's near-vertical Field of View (FoV).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: BAE Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integration Inc.
    Inventors: Jason E. Bardo, Wesley N. Allen, Benjamin G. McMahon
  • Publication number: 20220263215
    Abstract: An antenna positioner provided on a deployable vehicle. The antenna positioner includes a base and a frame having a plurality of plates oriented at an angle relative to one another. Each plate may include a low band antenna and a high band antenna. The base is located inside a chamber of the deployable vehicle. The frame is movable relative to the base between a collapsed position, where the entire frame is positioned within the chamber, and an extended position wherein at least a portion of the frame extends outwardly through an opening in the deployable vehicle's exterior wall. The frame is pivotally engaged with the base and a gearing mechanism pivots the frame between the collapsed position and the extended position to arrange the antennas at a desired orientation relative to the deployable vehicle's exterior wall so as to maximize the antenna's near-vertical Field of View (FoV).
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 18, 2021
    Publication date: August 18, 2022
    Applicant: BAE Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integration Inc.
    Inventors: Jason E. Bardo, Wesley N. Allen, Benjamin G. McMahon
  • Patent number: 10784590
    Abstract: An array antenna has a plurality of antenna unit cells arranged in rows and columns, or in another configuration. Each unit cell from the plurality of unit cells includes a circularly polarized radiator and a balun. The array antenna further includes a reactive element or a circuit element (such as a capacitor or resistor or even an inductor) on the circularly polarized radiator that is coupled an adjacent unit cell in one of the row and the column. A spacing distance between adjacent unit cells coupled via the circuit element that is at most half of a wavelength at a frequency maximum of the array antenna, wherein the spacing distance reduces likelihood of grating lobes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2020
    Assignee: BAE Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integration Inc.
    Inventors: Andrew C. Maccabe, James F. Fung, Randall R. Lapierre, Benjamin G. McMahon
  • Patent number: 10665961
    Abstract: A dual mode array antenna including a ground plane, a plurality of antenna elements, a tuning mechanism for tuning the array antenna to a resonant frequency, and a base defining a cavity having a depth that is less than half of a wavelength at an upper frequency of the array antenna is disclosed. Each of the plurality of antenna elements includes at least one spiral arm and each of the plurality of antenna elements is embedded in the cavity. The dual mode array antenna operates between the upper frequency and a lower frequency and may operate in one or more resonant frequencies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2020
    Assignee: BAE Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integration Inc.
    Inventors: Benjamin G. McMahon, Christopher K. Cheung, Robert W. Rogers, Court E. Rossman
  • Publication number: 20200161776
    Abstract: A dual mode array antenna including a ground plane, a plurality of antenna elements, a tuning mechanism for tuning the array antenna to a resonant frequency, and a base defining a cavity having a depth that is less than half of a wavelength at an upper frequency of the array antenna is disclosed. Each of the plurality of antenna elements includes at least one spiral arm and each of the plurality of antenna elements is embedded in the cavity. The dual mode array antenna operates between the upper frequency and a lower frequency and may operate in one or more resonant frequencies.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2018
    Publication date: May 21, 2020
    Applicant: BAE SYSTEMS INFORMATION AND ELECTRONIC SYSTEMS INTEGRATION INC.
    Inventors: Benjamin G. McMahon, Christopher K. Cheung, Robert W. Rogers, Court E. Rossman
  • Publication number: 20200014121
    Abstract: An array antenna has a plurality of antenna unit cells arranged in rows and columns, or in another configuration. Each unit cell from the plurality of unit cells includes a circularly polarized radiator and a balun. The array antenna further includes a reactive element or a circuit element (such as a capacitor or resistor or even an inductor) on the circularly polarized radiator that is coupled an adjacent unit cell in one of the row and the column. A spacing distance between adjacent unit cells coupled via the circuit element that is at most half of a wavelength at a frequency maximum of the array antenna, wherein the spacing distance reduces likelihood of grating lobes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 6, 2018
    Publication date: January 9, 2020
    Inventors: Andrew C. Maccabe, James F. Fung, Randall R. Lapierre, Benjamin G. McMahon
  • Patent number: 8786503
    Abstract: A dual purpose antenna is provided with the UHF antenna in the form of a pair of copper tubes to provide an off center fed dipole, with a pair of quadrafiler helix L1 and L2 GPS antennas stacked on top of the UHF antenna, and with the top section of the UHF dipole providing a ground plain for the GPS antenna. The antennas are fed internally by two coaxial feeds, one feeding the UHF antenna, the other passing through the UHF antenna to feed the GPS antennas. In one embodiment, a tuning coil is provided at the base of the UHF antenna by the coiling of the two coaxial feeds around a non-conductive mandrel, with copper taping placed on top of the coiled coaxial sections to provide an LC circuit to lower the resonant frequency of the UHF antenna to 225 MHz.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2014
    Assignee: BAE Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integration Inc.
    Inventors: John T. Apostolos, Benjamin G. McMahon
  • Publication number: 20130009832
    Abstract: A dual purpose antenna is provided with the UHF antenna in the form of a pair of copper tubes to provide an off center fed dipole, with a pair of quadrafiler helix L1 and L2 GPS antennas stacked on top of the UHF antenna, and with the top section of the UHF dipole providing a ground plain for the GPS antenna. The antennas are fed internally by two coaxial feeds, one feeding the UHF antenna, the other passing through the UHF antenna to feed the GPS antennas. In one embodiment, a tuning coil is provided at the base of the UHF antenna by the coiling of the two coaxial feeds around a non-conductive mandrel, with copper taping placed on top of the coiled coaxial sections to provide an LC circuit to lower the resonant frequency of the UHF antenna to 225 MHz.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 17, 2012
    Publication date: January 10, 2013
    Inventors: John T. Apostolos, Benjamin G. McMahon