Abstract: A body armor plate is configured to provide ballistics protection to a wearer of the plate. For example, the plate may be configured to protect the upper torso of the wearer from high-speed, ballistic projectiles like bullets, shrapnel, and/or other projectiles. In some implementations, the plate may include one or more electronic modules formed integrally therewith. Formation of the electronic modules integrally with the plate may enhance the functionality of the plate, may enhance the convenience (e.g., the form factor, the weight, the portability, etc.) of the electronics modules, robustness of the electronics modules, and/or other aspects of the electronics modules. The combination of the plate and the electronics modules may specifically provide various enhancements to, for example, military or law enforcement personnel that rely on the plate for ballistics protection.

Abstract: A body armor plate is configured to provide ballistics protection to a wearer of the plate. For example, the plate may be configured to protect the upper torso of the wearer from high-speed, ballistic projectiles like bullets, shrapnel, and/or other projectiles. In some implementations, the plate may include one or more electronic modules formed integrally therewith. Formation of the electronic modules integrally with the plate may enhance the functionality of the plate, may enhance the convenience (e.g., the form factor, the weight, the portability, etc.) of the electronics modules, robustness of the electronics modules, and/or other aspects of the electronics modules. The combination of the plate and the electronics modules may specifically provide various enhancements to, for example, military or law enforcement personnel that rely on the plate for ballistics protection.

Abstract: An embodiment of the present invention provides a phase shifter, comprising a substrate, resistive ink adjacent one surface of said substrate and separating a voltage tunable dielectric material from said surface of said substrate and a plurality of conductors adjacent said voltage tunable dielectric material separated so as to form a gap filled with resistive ink in said gap.

Abstract: Electronically tunable dielectric materials having favorable properties are disclosed. The electronically tunable materials include an electronically tunable dielectric phase such as barium strontium titanate in combination with at least two additional metal oxide phases. The additional metal oxide phases may include, for example, oxides of Mg, Si, Ca, Zr, Ti and Al. The electronically tunable materials may be provided in bulk, thin film and thick film forms for use in devices such as phased array antennas, tunable filters and the like. The materials are useful in many applications, including the area of radio frequency engineering and design.

Abstract: An embodiment of the present invention provides an apparatus, comprising a radio frequency switch capable of using tunable dielectric capacitors as the switching element for a plurality of cross connected ports. Further, the RF switching may be accomplished by creating an RF short at a tee within said apparatus by the combination of transmission lines and the impedance provided by the tunable dielectric capacitor.

Abstract: An embodiment of the present invention provides an apparatus, comprising a voltage tunable capacitor including a substrate, wherein a surface of the substrate opposite the voltage tunable capacitor is made physically rough such that reflections off a surface internal to the substrate are scattered and dissipated. The surface of the substrate opposite the voltage tunable capacitor may be made physically rough by using abrasion or other mechanical techniques or may be made physically rough by creating a rough surface through deposition of a material on the surface in a non-uniform manner such as evaporating a rough metal or dielectric. Further, the surface of the substrate opposite the voltage tunable capacitor may be made physically rough by plating metals under what would otherwise be considered a poor plating condition leading to a rough surface.

Abstract: An embodiment of the present invention provides an apparatus capable of a high fundamental acoustic resonance frequency, comprising a substrate, a bottom electrode layer adjacent the substrate, a voltage tunable dielectric layer adjacent the bottom electrode layer, the voltage tunable dielectric layer including an active region, a top electrode adjacent the voltage tunable dielectric layer, a final interconnect layer connected to the top electrode via an interlayer, and wherein the top and bottom electrodes are at a predetermined thickness such that a desired high fundamental acoustic resonance is obtained. The active region of the voltage tunable dielectric layer may be approximately the length of the top electrode and the interlayer and the final interconnect layer may cover only a small fraction of the active region of the voltage tunable dielectric layer, thereby reducing the amplitude of resonances due to the interlayer or final interconnect layer.

Abstract: An embodiment of the present invention provides an apparatus capable of a high fundamental acoustic resonance frequency, comprising a substrate, a bottom electrode layer adjacent the substrate, a voltage tunable dielectric layer adjacent the bottom electrode layer, the voltage tunable dielectric layer including an active region, a top electrode adjacent the voltage tunable dielectric layer, a final interconnect layer connected to the top electrode via an interlayer, and wherein the top and bottom electrodes are at a predetermined thickness such that a desired high fundamental acoustic resonance is obtained. The active region of the voltage tunable dielectric layer may be approximately the length of the top electrode and the interlayer and the final interconnect layer may cover only a small fraction of the active region of the voltage tunable dielectric layer, thereby reducing the amplitude of resonances due to the interlayer or final interconnect layer.

Abstract: An embodiment of the present invention provides an apparatus, comprising a frequency agile, directive patch antenna in a phased array with frequency agile elements, wherein the directive patch antenna is capable of generating a main radiation beam that is capable of being steered using electronically controlled phased shifters and wherein at least one tunable capacitors controls the resonant response of individual antenna elements within the phased array.

Abstract: An embodiment of the present invention provides an apparatus, comprising a plurality of sub-arrays and at least one beamformer driving the plurality of sub-arrays, the at least one beamformer employing at least one phase shifter.

Abstract: An apparatus for reducing influence by selected signal components in a communication link includes a first signal line conveying a first communication signal including a desired signal component and at least one undesired signal component; a second signal line conveying a second communication signal substantially including at least the at least one undesired signal component; a signal treating unit coupled with the second signal line for affecting at least one parameter associated with the second communication signal to present a modified second communication signal at a first output locus coupled for combining the modified second communication signal with the first communication signal to present an improved communication signal at a second output locus. The at least one undesired signal component affects the improved communication signal less than the at least one undesired signal component affects the first communication signal.

Abstract: In an embodiment of the present invention is provided a varactor, comprising: a bottom electrode supported by a substrate; a tunable dielectric in contact with said bottom electrode and in contact with a top electrode; and an interconnect in contact with said top electrode and capable of being in contact with a voltage source. The top electrode and the tunable dielectric may be encapsulated and the tunable dielectric layer may comprise one of: barium strontium titanate, barium calcium titanate, lead zirconium titanate, lead lanthanum zirconium titanate, lead titanate, barium calcium zirconium titanate, sodium nitrate, KNbO.sub.3, LiNbO.sub.3, LiTaO.sub.3, PbNb.sub.2 O.sub.6, PbTa.sub.2 O.sub.6, KSr(NbO.sub.3), NaBa.sub.2 (NbO.sub.3).sub.5, KH.sub.2 PO.sub.4, and composites thereof. Further, the substrate may comprise one of: MgO, alumina (AL.sub.2 O.sub.3), LaAlO.sub.

Abstract: An embodiment of the present invention provides an electronically tunable dielectric material, comprising at least one electronically tunable dielectric phase and at least one compound of low loss complex perovskites. The at least one electronically tunable dielectric phase may be selected from the group consisting of barium strontium titanate, barium titanate, strontium titanate, barium calcium titanate, barium calcium zirconium titanate, lead titanate, lead zirconium titanate, lead lanthanum zirconium titanate, lead niobate, lead tantalate, potassium strontium niobate, sodium barium niobate/potassium phosphate, potassium niobate, lithium niobate, lithium tantalate, lanthanum tantalate, barium calcium zirconium titanate, sodium nitrate, and combinations thereof. Further, the barium strontium titanate may of the formula BaxSr1-xTiO3, where x is from about 0 to about 1, or more specifically, but not limited in this respect, may also be of the formula BaxSr1-xTiO3, where x may be from about 0.15 to about 0.

Abstract: An embodiment of the present invention provides an apparatus capable of interference cancellation, comprising a first antenna capable of receiving an electrical signal, said electrical signal comprising a main signal component and an interfering signal component; a second antenna capable of receiving said electrical signal and passing it to a tunable delay line, said tunable delay line capable of varying the time delay of said electrical signal; and a combiner capable of receiving the electrical signal from said first antenna and the time delayed electrical signal from said tunable delay line and combining them so as to cancel said interfering signal component from said electrical signal.

Abstract: An embodiment of the present invention provides a hybrid phase shifter, comprising a first port wherein a microwave signal enters said hybrid phase shifter and splits and exits from two other ports into two reflector circuits, wherein said microwave signal reflects and re-enters said hybrid phase shifter and recombines and exits at an isolated port. The phase shifter may be operable at frequencies between 0.9 GHz and 5 GHz and operable at frequencies in the Ka-band. An embodiment of the present invention provides the hybrid phase shifter may further comprise meandering microstrip lines or using non-uniform lines such as alternating narrow and wide sections thereby enabling an overall size reduction a factor of 1.5 to 2. The meandering strip lines may be formed on a substrate and the phase shifter may be made tunable using voltage tunable dielectric material with said phase shifter.

Abstract: A phase shifter includes a substrate, a tunable dielectric film having a dielectric constant between 70 to 600, a tuning range of 20 to 60%, and a loss tangent between 0.008 to 0.03 at K and Ka bands positioned on a surface of the substrate, a coplanar waveguide positioned on a surface of the tunable dielectric film opposite the substrate, an input for coupling a radio frequency signal to the coplanar waveguide, an output for receiving the radio frequency signal from the coplanar waveguide, and a connection for applying a control voltage to the tunable dielectric film. A reflective termination coplanar waveguide phase shifter including a substrate, a tunable dielectric film having a dielectric constant between 70 to 600, a tuning range of 20 to 60%, and a loss tangent between 0.008 to 0.

Abstract: A phase shifter includes a substrate, a tunable dielectric film having a dielectric constant between 70 to 600, a tuning range of 20 to 60%, and a loss tangent between 0.008 to 0.03 at K and Ka bands positioned on a surface of the substrate, a coplanar waveguide positioned on a surface of the tunable dielectric film opposite the substrate, an input for coupling a radio frequency signal to the coplanar waveguide, an output for receiving the radio frequency signal from the coplanar waveguide, and a connection for applying a control voltage to the tunable dielectric film. A reflective termination coplanar waveguide phase shifter including a substrate, a tunable dielectric film having a dielectric constant between 70 to 600, a tuning range of 20 to 60%, and a loss tangent between 0.008 to 0.

Abstract: An embodiment of the present invention provides an apparatus, comprising a radio frequency switch capable of using tunable dielectric capacitors as the switching element. The apparatus may further comprise a cross connector connecting a plurality of ports and wherein at least one of the tunable dielectric capacitors may placed between the cross connector at and least one port, thereby enabling impedance variations between the cross connector and the ports. Further, an embodiment of the present invention may provide at least one T connector between the cross connector and at least one of the plurality of ports, wherein at least one tunable dielectric capacitor may be associated with the T connector to vary the impedance in at least one node of the T connector.

Abstract: An embodiment of the present invention further provides an apparatus capable of reducing selected signal components in a communication link comprising a signal line conveying a communication signal including a desired signal component and at least one undesired signal component; a first signal loop coupled to the first signal line capable of generating a signal such that when combined with the first signal line reduces a first of the at least one undesired signal components; and a second signal loop coupled to the first signal line capable of generating a signal such that when combined with the first signal line reduces a second of the at least one undesired signal components. The first signal loop may include a tunable delay enabling the generation of the signal that when combined with the first signal line reduces a first of the at least one undesired signal components.

Abstract: The production of low-loss, tunable composite ceramic materials with improved breakdown strengths is disclosed. The composite materials comprise ferroelectric perovskites such as barium strontium titanate or other ferroelectric perovskites combined with other phases such as low-loss silicate materials and/or other low-loss oxides. The composite materials are produced in sheet or tape form by methods such as tape casting. The composite tapes exhibit favorable tunability, low loss and tailorable dielectric properties, and can be used in various microwave devices.