Patents by Inventor James J. Alter

James J. Alter 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: 5008680
    Abstract: A programmable beam transform system is disclosed for performing both beam steering and beam shaping operations in a phased array antenna. A programmable beam transform control circuit is responsive to a plurality of input signals for selectively generating and applying a plurality of control signals to each intelligent phase shift control circuit in an array of phase shift control circuits/phase shifters/antenna elements. Each phase shift control circuit simultaneously modifies the plurality of control signals applied thereto as a function of its internally-stored data to develop its own phase shift command signal which is used by its associated phase shifter to phase shift that portion of the total energy applied thereto. On transmit, the phase-shifted energy outputs from the phase shifters in the array are then respectively transmitted by the associated antenna elements in the array to form the desired beam pattern at the desired beam position; and on receive the complementary function occurs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 1988
    Date of Patent: April 16, 1991
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Jefferson M. Willey, James J. Alter, Jules P. Letellier