Patents by Inventor Walter S. Wall

Walter S. Wall 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: 11270827
    Abstract: A magnetic transmitter including at least one magnetoelastic element, a magnetic field source, and an actuator operably coupled to the magnetoelastic element. The magnetoelastic element is oriented parallel to the magnetic field source. The magnetic field source is configured to induce a magnetic flux in the magnetoelastic element, and the actuator is configured to induce harmonic vibration in the magnetoelastic element. The magnetoelastic element is oriented parallel to the magnetic field source. The harmonic vibration of the magnetoelastic element is configured to change a net magnetic dipole of the magnetic transmitter due to magnetostriction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Assignee: HRL Laboratories, LLC
    Inventors: Geoffrey P. McKnight, Christopher B. Churchill, Walter S. Wall
  • Patent number: 11271295
    Abstract: The impedance of a loopstick antenna is directly modulated utilizing a mechanically actuated magnetoelastic material preferably placed in the core (or center) of looped wires forming the loopstick antenna. Using one or more mechanical actuators the permeability in the center of the loopstick antenna can be modulated at a rapid rate (such as with data or audio information), allowing the magnetic field outside of the antenna to be modulated at large bandwidths without requiring switches or modulators capable of high voltage thus reducing the overall complexity and cost of the transmitter. The external magnetic field is created by an AC source which is preferably impedance matched to the loopstick antenna by means of a matching network and is FM modulated according to a modulating signal applied to the one or more mechanical actuators.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Assignee: HRL Laboratories, LLC
    Inventors: Skyler Selvin, Walter S. Wall, Geoffrey P. McKnight
  • Patent number: 11239823
    Abstract: A RF antenna comprises a quartz resonator having electrodes disposed thereon with a magnetostrictive film disposed on the quartz resonator either on, partially under or adjacent at least one of the electrodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Assignee: HRL Laboratories, LLC
    Inventors: Randall L. Kubena, Walter S. Wall
  • Patent number: 11211711
    Abstract: A RF transmitting device and method for transmitting digital information wherein the device is connected to or connectable with an antenna, the RF transmitting device having an RF source or transmitter, an electronic switch, a plurality electromechanical resonators each connected to the electronic switch. The electronic switch connects a selected one or selected ones of the electromechanical resonators between the RF source or transmitter and the antenna. Alternatively, the electronic switch connects a selected one or selected ones of the electromechanical resonators between different portions of the antenna. The electronic switch is controlled by a digital control unit for causing the electronic switch to couple RF energy produced by the RF source or transmitter to the antenna via the selected one or selected ones of the plurality of electromechanical resonators.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignee: HRL Laboratories, LLC
    Inventors: Walter S. Wall, Randall L. Kubena, Harris P. Moyer
  • Patent number: 11156897
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for enhancing the stability of an oscillator circuit by generating a comb of frequencies in a non-linear resonator member in response to a drive frequency, the oscillator circuit including a voltage controlled oscillator which is locked to a particular tooth of the comb of frequencies produced by the non-linear resonator member at a drive frequency for which the absolute value of the first derivative of the drive frequency versus said comb frequency is greater than 1, and wherein the second voltage controlled oscillator is coupled with a phase locked loop circuit which controls the locking of the second voltage controlled oscillator to said particular tooth of the comb of frequencies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2021
    Assignee: HRL Laboratories, LLC
    Inventors: Randall L. Kubena, Walter S. Wall
  • Patent number: 11145982
    Abstract: An antenna system having at least one active element with a first end thereof for connection to a radio receiver, transmitter or transceiver and at least one electromechanical resonator connected in series with (i) at least portion of said at least one active element and at least another portion of said at least one active element or (ii) said at least one active element and said radio receiver, transmitter or transceiver. The at least one active element exhibits capacitive reactance at an intended frequency of operation and the at least one electromechanical resonator exhibits inductive reactance at the intended frequency of operation, the inductive reactance of the at least one electromechanical resonator offsetting or partially offsetting the capacitive reactance of the at least one antenna element at the intended frequency of operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2021
    Assignee: HRL Laboratories, LLC
    Inventors: Walter S. Wall, Hyok J. Song, Randall L. Kubena, Carson R. White
  • Publication number: 20210209260
    Abstract: A method, apparatus, system, and computer program product for evaluating a maturity of a model for a product. A selected maturity state is determined by a computer system for the model for evaluation. A determination is made by the computer system as to whether the model meets a set of criteria for the selected maturity state and a confidence level for the selected maturity state. A model action is performed by the computer system using the model when the model meets the set of criteria for the selected maturity state and the confidence level for the selected maturity state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 2, 2020
    Publication date: July 8, 2021
    Inventors: Nicholas J. Kramer, Scott Christopher Hasse, Steven Douglas Swaine, Jeffrey Keith Sipes, Angayarkanni Saravana, Samuel James Tutko, Terri Wen-Ching Chan, Keith Harrell, Steven Charles Holt, Walter S. Wall, Neil Ebarle, Shannon Fowler
  • Patent number: 11041936
    Abstract: An autonomously reconfigurable surface for adaptive antenna nulling includes a lattice of electrically conductive elements (which may be embodied as crossed metallic dipoles) mounted on a thin and preferably conformal surface and aperiodically loaded with reactance tuning elements and/or RF (and typically high power) sensing circuits. Additional elements mounted on this surface include analog to digital convertors (ADCs), digital to analog convertors (DACs), and microcontroller(s). The analog outputs of the DACs are networked to reactance tuning elements via, for example, a network of thin copper traces. The analog inputs of the ADCs are networked to the RF sensing circuits via a network, for example, of thin copper traces. The digital outputs of ADCs and the digital inputs of DACs are networked to microcontroller(s) via a network, for example, of thin copper traces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2021
    Assignee: HRL Laboratories, LLC
    Inventors: Walter S. Wall, Amit M. Patel, Ryan G. Quarfoth
  • Publication number: 20210091748
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for enhancing the stability of an oscillator circuit by generating a comb of frequencies in a non-linear resonator member in response to a drive frequency, the oscillator circuit including a voltage controlled oscillator which is locked to a particular tooth of the comb of frequencies produced by the non-linear resonator member at a drive frequency for which the absolute value of the first derivative of the drive frequency versus said comb frequency is greater than 1, and wherein the second voltage controlled oscillator is coupled with a phase locked loop circuit which controls the locking of the second voltage controlled oscillator to said particular tooth of the comb of frequencies.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 17, 2020
    Publication date: March 25, 2021
    Applicant: HRL Laboratories, LLC
    Inventors: Randall L. KUBENA, Walter S. WALL
  • Patent number: 10921360
    Abstract: A RF field sensor in which a magnetostrictive film is deposited on one or more electrodes of one or more quartz resonator(s) in which an electric field of the RF field is detected along one axis of the RF field sensor and a magnetic field of the RF field is detected along an orthogonal axis of the RF field sensor simultaneously.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2021
    Assignees: HRL Laboratories, LLC, Rutgers University
    Inventors: Randall L. Kubena, Walter S. Wall, Yook-Kong Yong, Richard J. Joyce
  • Patent number: 10819276
    Abstract: A RF antenna or sensor comprising substrate with at least a pair of resonators bonded thereto, whereon a first one of the at least a pair of resonators is coated with a magnetostrictive film and a second one of the at least a pair of resonators is not coated with a magnetostrictive film. The resonators are preferably connected to sustaining circuits to form oscillators and the oscillators a preferably used within a phase lock loop to detect the magnetic component of an incident RF field with a bandwidth determined by the phase lock loop. Also disclosed is a method of making a RF sensor or antenna comprises providing a substrate of a semiconductor material, simultaneously forming two resonators on the substrate, and during the forming of the resonators a resist coating partially covering a first one of the resonators and completely covering a second one of the resonators is applied. Then, a magnetostrictive material is deposited to regions not covered by the resist coating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2020
    Assignee: HRL Laboratories, LLC
    Inventors: Randall L. Kubena, Walter S. Wall
  • Patent number: 10764993
    Abstract: The present application electromagnetic signal filtering. More specifically, the application teaches a system and method for affixing a frequency selective surface to an existing antenna radome, such that unwanted signals are attenuated before reaching an antenna structure within the antenna radome.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Inventors: Walter S. Wall, James H. Schaffner, Hyok Jae Song, David S. Hammon, Timothy J. Talty, Duane S. Carper, Eray Yasan
  • Patent number: 10573963
    Abstract: An adaptive detection and nulling system includes an antenna or radio frequency aperture, an electronically tunable radome placed over the antenna or radio frequency aperture, the radome including a plurality of scatterers on a substrate, and one or more tunable reactance elements connecting at least two of the scatterers, a microcontroller coupled to the tunable reactive elements and configured to control the reactance values of the one or more tunable reactance elements, and a sensing circuit coupled to the microcontroller, wherein inputs from the sensing circuit are used by the microcontroller to adaptively determine bias voltages to the one or more tunable reactance elements using characterization data of the radome to control the tunable reactance elements to form one or more nulls in a receive radiation pattern of the antenna.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2020
    Assignee: HRL Laboratories, LLC
    Inventors: Walter S. Wall, Amit M. Patel
  • Patent number: 10560072
    Abstract: In examples, systems and methods for increasing the performance of electrically-small antennas are described. An example system comprises an electrically-small antenna having an antenna feed. The electrically-small antenna is configured to receive a signal. The system also comprises a non-foster circuit having a negative capacitance coupled to the antenna feed in a shunt position. The non-foster circuit is configured to resonate the electrically-small antenna and provide a voltage increase to the received signal. The system also comprises a buffer circuit configured to provide an impedance conversion of the voltage-increased received signal between the antenna feed and an output of the buffer circuit. The buffer circuit includes a field-effect transistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2020
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Carson R. White, Walter S. Wall
  • Patent number: 10522904
    Abstract: A transparent pane assembly including a transparent pane, an antenna and an electromagnetic connector assembly. The transparent pane includes first and second layers made of a dielectric substrate, and the second layer includes opposite first and second faces. The antenna is disposed between the first and second layers, and is attached to the first face. The electromagnetic connector assembly includes a metal bonding pad, a coaxial connector, and a printed circuit board. The bonding pad is adhered to the second face and aligned to a feed portion of the antenna for electromagnetic coupling. The circuit board includes opposite first and second sides and an electrically conductive trace carried by the second side. The coaxial connector is electrically connected to the PCB at the second side, and the electrically conductive trace is in electrical contact with the metal bonding pad.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2019
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Hyok Jae Song, James H. Schaffner, Arthur Bekaryan, Timothy J. Talty, Eray Yasan, Duane S. Carper, Walter S. Wall
  • Patent number: 10511335
    Abstract: A signal processing apparatus for simultaneously receiving and processing a satellite signal and a WCS signal. The system and method is operative to receive the signals, amplify and bandwidth covering both signals, splitting the amplified signal into a first and second portions, filtering the first portion to reduce the WCS signal, amplifying the first portion to amplify the satellite signal in the first portion, and processing the satellite signal in the first portion. The system and method is further operative to processing the WCS signal in the second portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2019
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Timothy J. Talty, Duane S. Carper, Eray Yasan, David M. George, James H. Schaffner, Hyok Jae Song, Walter S. Wall
  • Publication number: 20190348753
    Abstract: A transparent pane assembly including a transparent pane, an antenna and an electromagnetic connector assembly. The transparent pane includes first and second layers made of a dielectric substrate, and the second layer includes opposite first and second faces. The antenna is disposed between the first and second layers, and is attached to the first face. The electromagnetic connector assembly includes a metal bonding pad, a coaxial connector, and a printed circuit board. The bonding pad is adhered to the second face and aligned to a feed portion of the antenna for electromagnetic coupling. The circuit board includes opposite first and second sides and an electrically conductive trace carried by the second side. The coaxial connector is electrically connected to the PCB at the second side, and the electrically conductive trace is in electrical contact with the metal bonding pad.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 9, 2018
    Publication date: November 14, 2019
    Inventors: Hyok Jae Song, James H. Schaffner, Arthur Bekaryan, Timothy J. Talty, Eray Yasan, Duane S. Carper, Walter S. Wall
  • Patent number: 10389392
    Abstract: A resonator is formed from a unitary slab of a plate of quartz material which is KT cut with a theta cut angle between 20 and 35 degree, the unitary slab of a plate of quartz material having vertical side walls defining (i) an elongated central portion, the elongated central portion having a centerline along its major dimension, the elongated central portion resonating, in use, in an extensional mode disposed at a right angle to said centerline, (ii) a pair of isolating springs integrally connected to said central portion at the centerline thereof and (iii) first and second pairs of tethers, each one of the pairs tethers being integrally connected at a mid point of each the first and second pairs of tethers to ends of the isolating springs remote from the elongated central portion, each of the pairs tethers having two arms which wrap around the elongated central portion so that an end of one arm of the one of the tether approaches, but does not contact, an end of an arm of the another one of the tethers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2019
    Assignee: HRL Laboratories, LLC
    Inventors: Randall L. Kubena, Walter S. Wall
  • Publication number: 20190250198
    Abstract: A RF field sensor in which a magnetostrictive film is deposited on one or more electrodes of one or more quartz resonator(s) in which an electric field of the RF field is detected along one axis of the RF field sensor and a magnetic field of the RF field is detected along an orthogonal axis of the RF field sensor simultaneously.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 7, 2019
    Publication date: August 15, 2019
    Applicant: HRL Laboratories, LLC
    Inventors: Randall L. Kubena, Walter S. WALL, Yook-Kong YONG, Richard J. JOYCE
  • Patent number: 10381704
    Abstract: An electromagnetic coupler that couples antenna signals for a wideband antenna positioned between glass layers of an automotive windshield. The coupler includes a first co-planar waveguide (CPW) formed on one side of a glass layer and a second CPW formed on the other side of the glass layer, where the first and second CPWs are a mirror, or near-mirror, and 180° rotated images of each other. Both the first and second CPWs include a conductive plane where removed portions of the plane define a wide CPW section and a narrow CPW section that are electrically coupled to each other, and where the remaining portions of the conductive plane are ground planes, and where the electromagnetic signals are coupled through the glass layer between the wide CPW sections.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2019
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Timothy J. Talty, Walter S. Wall, James H. Schaffner, Hyok Jae Song, Duane S. Carper, Eray Yasan