Patents by Inventor James V. Strahan

James V. Strahan 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: 5302959
    Abstract: A phase shifter subarray which is useful with a phased array antenna, includes a plurality of phase shifter elements which have substantially equal finite lengths and which are mounted on a ferri-magnetic substrate. An electrical coil is disposed around selected portions of the substrate and a common feed is connected to each of the phase shifter elements to transmit energy through the phase shifter elements to the radiating elements of the antenna. A driver is connected to the coil, and the driver is activated to induce a magnetic flux in the selected portions of the substrate. This flux influences that part of each phase shifter element which is mounted in the selected portions of the substrate and, consequently, the phase of the wave energy which passes through the influenced part of each phase shifter element is shifted to predictably direct the beam radiated from the antenna.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 1992
    Date of Patent: April 12, 1994
    Assignee: Hughes Aircraft Company
    Inventors: William A. Harrington, James V. Strahan
  • Patent number: 5264859
    Abstract: A millimeter wave antenna capable of electronic scanning for automobile collision avoidance radar. The antenna includes a linear ferrite loaded slot array which illuminates a dielectric lens. The antenna system has no moving parts. Beam scanning is achieved by controlling the bias magnetic field along the ferrite rod of the slot array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 1991
    Date of Patent: November 23, 1993
    Assignee: Hughes Aircraft Company
    Inventors: Jar J. Lee, James V. Strahan, Raymond Tang
  • Patent number: 5231411
    Abstract: A one piece millimeter wave phase shifter/antenna, wherein magnetic flux is imported into a ferrite rod body through a plated metallic film helix, driven by a pulse generator to change the amount of remnant flux, and therefore the relative microwave phase shift from one aperture port to its neighbor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 1991
    Date of Patent: July 27, 1993
    Assignee: Hughes Aircraft Company
    Inventors: William A. Harrington, James V. Strahan, Lawrence DiFrancesco
  • Patent number: 5223808
    Abstract: A microwave ferrite phase shifter wherein three parallel microstrip lines are disposed on a planar ferrite substrate surface opposite a ground plane disposed on an opposite planar surface of the substrate, the lines defining two sets of quadrature E-fields within the substrate to produce a circularly polarized wave therein, the amount of phase shift between the input and output ports of the phase shifter being determined by the magnitude of a magnetic field produced in the substrate in the direction of its axis by a current-carrying coil, for example.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 1992
    Date of Patent: June 29, 1993
    Assignee: Hughes Aircraft Company
    Inventors: Jar J. Lee, James V. Strahan
  • Patent number: 5218358
    Abstract: A phase shifter assembly for use with a phased array antenna includes a plurality of phase shifter subarrays which are mounted on a ferri-magnetic substrate. There is a common power feed which is connected in series through a transmission line with each of the phase shifter subarrays. Additionally, a plurality of power combiners/splitters are connected into the transmission line to direct the proportionate power to each subarray. An alignment phase shifter is connected into the transmission line between adjacent subarrays and their associated power combiner/splitter. Separately from the transmission line, a driver is electronically connected in series with coils at each of the alignment phase shifters to alter the phase power which is fed into each of the subarray to align adjacent subarrays and produce a substantially continuous wave for the antenna.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 1992
    Date of Patent: June 8, 1993
    Assignee: Hughes Aircraft Company
    Inventors: William A. Harrington, James V. Strahan
  • Patent number: 4613869
    Abstract: An electronically scanned array antenna useful for millimeter wavelength energy is disclosed. The antenna comprises a fully ferrite loaded square or round waveguide having radiating apertures spaced along part of its length. Rf energy is circularly polarized in the waveguide. The phase velocity of the wave is controlled by applying a longitudinal magnetic field to the ferrite to produce a controllable linear progressive phase of the energy radiated from the apertures to form a beam in the desired direction. The phase control is of a latching type using flux drive. The particular structure of the invention enables combining a plurality of branching array elements with a feed element to form an array capable of two dimension beam scanning.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 1983
    Date of Patent: September 23, 1986
    Assignee: Hughes Aircraft Company
    Inventors: James S. Ajioka, James V. Strahan