Patents by Inventor Robert H. Sternowski

Robert H. Sternowski 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: 7656909
    Abstract: A self-steering autoplexer for transmitter multicoupling has a linear summer for summing transmit signals at several frequencies. An input demultiplexer uses input diplexers to separate and route the transmit signals by frequency. Amplifiers amplify the separated transmit signals from the input demultiplexer. An output multiplexer uses diplexers to combining the amplified and separated transmit signals into a combined transmit signal for transmission by an antenna. The output multiplexer may have an even multiplexer for combining the transmit signals into even band transmit signals for transmission by an even band antenna and an odd multiplexer for combining the transmit signals into odd band transmit signals for transmission by the antenna. The input diplexers of the input demultiplexer comprise diplexers connected such that the transmit signals are applied to outputs of the diplexers to separate the transmit signals into low and high frequency signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2010
    Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert H. Sternowski
  • Patent number: 7382185
    Abstract: The loop segment switching system includes a plurality of signal sources, each producing an output signal; and, a plurality of signal sinks, each signal sink normally accepting an output signal from an associated signal source and for increasing the power of the output signal to a desired level. A node switching system of the loop segment switching system includes a plurality of switch nodes and control means. Each switch node, in its basic form, includes a first relay, a second relay, and a third relay. Associated signal sources and amplifiers are normally connected to each other via the third relay. The switch nodes are normally connected in one continuous interconnecting loop from the first relay of a node to the second relay of an adjacent node. The control means is connected to the switch nodes for activating the plurality of switch nodes in order to reconnect signal sources and signal sinks from the normal connection in the event of a failure of a signal source or a signal sink.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2008
    Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert H. Sternowski
  • Patent number: 7092645
    Abstract: A wideband communications system uses a photomixer, a radio frequency (RF) mixer, and an antenna. The photomixer is comprised of high speed phototransistors that are illuminated by two laser beams. The laser beams are generated by two lasers, one tunable, and conveyed to the photomixer via fiber optic cables. The two beams are mixed by the photomixer to generate a radio heterodyne signal that is mixed with antenna signals to generate an intermediate frequency (IF) signal based on the differences of the generated heterodyne frequency and the antenna signals. Conventional fiber optic means may be used to convey the IF signals, along with the fiber optic cables to the photomixer, to and from a remote RF head located at some distance from the rest of the communications system to overcome losses in transmission lines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2006
    Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert H. Sternowski
  • Patent number: 6998908
    Abstract: An adaptive interference cancellation receiving system uses synthesizer phase accumulation. A coupler coupled to a transmitter samples an undesired transmit signal. An adaptive interference canceller (AIC) module varies phase and amplitude of the sampled undesired transmit signal to provide a cancellation output signal. The AIC module has a frequency synthesizer with phase accumulation for varying the phase of the sampled undesired transmit signal. An antenna receives receive signals and the undesired transmit signal. A summing circuit connected to the receive antenna and the adaptive interference module sums the receive signals, the received undesired transmit signal, and the cancellation signal to cancel the received undesired transmit signal. An AIC controller module is coupled to the summing circuit output to detect a null in the undesired transmit signal, to generate a cancellation feedback signal, and to provide the cancellation feedback signal to the AIC module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2006
    Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert H. Sternowski
  • Patent number: 6697008
    Abstract: A distributed electronic warfare system includes a central control site for controlling and receiving data from the system and utilizes a satellite communications system for communications within the system. Electronic warfare pods are attached to variety of aircraft. The electronic warfare pods listen to signals from targets and jam the targets under control of the central control site. The pods supply the data to the central control site. The pods have antennas for radiating jamming signals to the targets and receiving signals from the targets. Transmitters in the pods generate jamming signals and receivers receive the signals from the targets. A signal processor processes the received signals from the targets. The pods may be used for search and collection, geolocation, and electronic attack under control of the central control site.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2004
    Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert H. Sternowski
  • Patent number: 6297758
    Abstract: An electrooptical scanning analog-to-digital converter for converting an analog voltage signal from a source to its corresponding digital equivalent in accordance with the invention includes a laser providing a beam having an initial position and multiple deflected positions. The voltage signal forms a deflection input to the laser. A first voltage of the voltage signal provides for the initial position of the beam and multiple other voltages of the voltage signal provide for the plurality of deflected positions of the beam. The invention also includes a phototarget array that has a first phototarget mapped to the first voltage of the voltage signal and multiple incremental phototargets each mapped to one of the multiple other voltages of the voltage signal. The first phototarget and the multiple incremental phototargets are arranged along an axis, which may be in one implementation substantially perpendicular to the initial position of the beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2001
    Assignee: Rockwell Collins
    Inventor: Robert H. Sternowski
  • Patent number: 6169278
    Abstract: A dielectric heater for subject material by connecting an RF source, modulated to produce a spread-spectrum signal to a radio frequency applicator for the subject material, without requiring an impedance matching network. The carrier frequency of the RF source may be selected to match the impedance of the subject material and applicator network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2001
    Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert H. Sternowski