Patents by Inventor James W. Milligan

James W. Milligan 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: 9641163
    Abstract: A transistor package includes a transistor and one or more bandwidth limiting matching networks. The one or more bandwidth limiting matching networks are coupled to one of a control contact and an output contact of the transistor in order to limit the gain response of the transistor outside of a predetermined frequency band. Specifically, the transistor package has a gain roll-off greater than 0.5 dB within 200 MHz of the predetermined frequency band, while providing signal losses less than 1.0 dB inside the predetermined frequency band at a power level greater than 240 W. By providing the bandwidth limiting matching networks in the transistor package, the gain response of the transistor may be appropriately limited in order to comply with the spectral masking requirements of one or more wireless communications standards, for example, Long Term Evolution (LTE) standards.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: Cree, Inc.
    Inventors: Mitchell Flowers, Simon Wood, James W. Milligan
  • Patent number: 9565642
    Abstract: A gallium nitride (GaN) radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC) is configured to receive and amplify a low-level WiFi signal to generate a WiFi transmit signal. By using a GaN RFIC, the performance of the RFIC is significantly improved when compared to conventional RFICs for WiFi signals. In one exemplary embodiment, the RFIC has an error vector magnitude less than 29 dBc, an average power output around 29 dBm, and an average power added efficiency of greater than 25%. In additional embodiments, the RFIC has a gain greater than about 32 dB and a peak output power around ?37 dB.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2017
    Assignee: Cree, Inc.
    Inventors: William Pribble, Simon Wood, James W. Milligan
  • Patent number: 9515011
    Abstract: A transistor package includes a lead frame, a wide band-gap transistor attached to the lead frame, and an over-mold surrounding the lead frame and the wide band-gap transistor. The wide band-gap transistor has a peak output power greater than 150 W when operated at a frequency up to 3.8 GHz. Using an over-mold along with a wide band-gap transistor in the transistor package allows the transistor package to achieve an exceptionally high efficiency, gain, and bandwidth, while keeping the manufacturing cost of the transistor package low.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2016
    Assignee: Cree, Inc.
    Inventors: Simon Wood, James W. Milligan, Chris Hermanson
  • Publication number: 20150349727
    Abstract: A transistor package includes a transistor and one or more bandwidth limiting matching networks. The one or more bandwidth limiting matching networks are coupled to one of a control contact and an output contact of the transistor in order to limit the gain response of the transistor outside of a predetermined frequency band. Specifically, the transistor package has a gain roll-off greater than 0.5 dB within 200 MHz of the predetermined frequency band, while providing signal losses less than 1.0 dB inside the predetermined frequency band at a power level greater than 240 W. By providing the bandwidth limiting matching networks in the transistor package, the gain response of the transistor may be appropriately limited in order to comply with the spectral masking requirements of one or more wireless communications standards, for example, Long Term Evolution (LTE) standards.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 28, 2014
    Publication date: December 3, 2015
    Applicant: Cree, Inc.
    Inventors: Mitchell Flowers, Simon Wood, James W. Milligan
  • Publication number: 20150348886
    Abstract: A transistor package includes a lead frame, a wide band-gap transistor attached to the lead frame, and an over-mold surrounding the lead frame and the wide band-gap transistor. The wide band-gap transistor has a peak output power greater than 150 W when operated at a frequency up to 3.8 GHz. Using an over-mold along with a wide band-gap transistor in the transistor package allows the transistor package to achieve an exceptionally high efficiency, gain, and bandwidth, while keeping the manufacturing cost of the transistor package low.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 28, 2014
    Publication date: December 3, 2015
    Applicant: Cree, Inc.
    Inventors: Simon Wood, James W. Milligan, Chris Hermanson
  • Publication number: 20150296461
    Abstract: A gallium nitride (GaN) radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC) is configured to receive and amplify a low-level WiFi signal to generate a WiFi transmit signal. By using a GaN RFIC, the performance of the RFIC is significantly improved when compared to conventional RFICs for WiFi signals. In one exemplary embodiment, the RFIC has an error vector magnitude less than 29 dBc, an average power output around 29 dBm, and an average power added efficiency of greater than 25%. In additional embodiments, the RFIC has a gain greater than about 32 dB and a peak output power around ?37 dB.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 11, 2014
    Publication date: October 15, 2015
    Applicant: Cree, Inc.
    Inventors: William Pribble, Simon Wood, James W. Milligan
  • Patent number: 7518451
    Abstract: A switch mode power amplifier includes a transistor responsive to input signals above 1.0 GHz and which includes one terminal coupled to ground and another terminal conductively coupled to a power source. A resonant circuit coupled the second terminal to an output with a resistive load coupled across the output and ground. When the transistor is turned on the second terminal is coupled to ground and when the transistor is turned off, current from the power supply to the second terminal is steered into internal capacitance of the transistor and causes voltage on the second terminal to rise to a maximum value and then decrease, the voltage at the second terminal being coupled to the output terminal through the resonant circuit. In preferred embodiments, the transistor comprises a compound semiconductor field effect transistor with the first terminal being a source terminal and the second terminal being a drain terminal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2009
    Assignee: Cree, Inc.
    Inventors: William L. Pribble, James W. Milligan, Raymond S. Pengelly
  • Patent number: 7236053
    Abstract: A switch mode power amplifier includes a transistor responsive to input signals above 1.0 GHz and which includes one terminal coupled to ground and another terminal conductively coupled to a power source. A resonant circuit coupled the second terminal to an output with a resistive load coupled across the output and ground. When the transistor is turned on the second terminal is coupled to ground and when the transistor is turned off, current from the power supply to the second terminal is steered into internal capacitance of the transistor and causes voltage on the second terminal to rise to a maximum value and then decrease, the voltage at the second terminal being coupled to the output terminal through the resonant circuit. In preferred embodiments, the transistor comprises a compound semiconductor field effect transistor with the first terminal being a source terminal and the second terminal being a drain terminal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2007
    Assignee: Cree, Inc.
    Inventors: William L. Pribble, James W. Milligan, Raymond S. Pengelly
  • Patent number: 5604414
    Abstract: An apparatus for electrically setting the overload compensating magnetic reluctance in a single phase induction watthour meter includes a moveable magnetic shunt positioned adjacent the poles of a current core of a current stator circuit. An electrical parameter of the current stator circuit is sensed and changes in this parameter are used to set the air gap between the magnetic shunt and the current core poles. In one embodiment, a programmable controller controls a motor to move the shunt in response to variation of the sensed electrical parameter from a predetermined value. In one method, the sensed electrical parameter is the voltage induced in a first current coil when a second current coil is energized. In other methods, the sensed electrical parameter is the flux induced in the magnetic shunt or the self inductance of a current coil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 1994
    Date of Patent: February 18, 1997
    Assignee: Landis & Gyr Energy Management
    Inventors: James W. Milligan, John T. Voisine
  • Patent number: 4118667
    Abstract: A method for making a heat sensitive fault detecting and indicating device for a watthour meter is disclosed herein. The illustrated method is particularly useful for a watthour meter that conventionally includes a potential stator and a current stator both of which are mounted thereon one or more permanent magnets and a rotatable disk assembly with disk rotation being recorded on the recording dials of a register assembly visible through the enclosing glass cover of the meter. The current stator of such a meter normally includes a pair of current coils that are heat responsive and a method is disclosed for providing a heat sensitive fault detecting and indicating device that may be associated with such coils.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 1977
    Date of Patent: October 3, 1978
    Assignee: Duncan Electric Co., Inc.
    Inventor: James W. Milligan
  • Patent number: 4074221
    Abstract: Lightning protection is provided by an electronic valve molded mainly of silicon carbide powder. The manufacturing cost and high reject rate of previous ceramic bonding is greatly reduced by bonding with epoxy resin, the mixture being pressure molded. The surface-tracking characteristic of epoxy resin is rendered harmless by covering the periphery of the molded piece with insulation and by inclusion of alumina powder in the mix. The insulating sleeve is extended to provide a hood preventing harmful migration of an ionized arcing path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 1976
    Date of Patent: February 14, 1978
    Assignee: Duncan Electric Company, Inc.
    Inventor: James W. Milligan
  • Patent number: 4017795
    Abstract: A heat sensitive fault detecting and indicating system and method for a watthour meter is disclosed herein. The illustrated watthour meter includes a potential stator and a current stator both of which are mounted on a frame assembly, the assembly also having mounted thereon one or more permanent magnets and a rotatable disk assembly with disk rotation being recorded on the recording dials of a register assembly visible through the enclosing glass cover of the meter. The current stator includes a pair of current coils which coils have a heat sensitive fault detecting and indicating device associated therewith. The heat sensitive fault detecting and indicating device illustrated includes a layer of low melting point metal, such as tin, for example, which layer is covered by a sheath, such as a plastic sheath, for example, with predetermined portions of the sheath being thinned, as by embossing, for example, with a predetermined symbol or other indicia.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 1975
    Date of Patent: April 12, 1977
    Assignee: Duncan Electric Company, Inc.
    Inventor: James W. Milligan