Patents by Inventor William E. McKinzie, III

William E. McKinzie, III 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: 10177731
    Abstract: A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure can include, for example, an apparatus having a matching network adapted to reduce a magnitude of a signal reflection at a port of the matching network. The matching network can have one or more controllable variable reactive elements. A controller can be adapted to determine reflection coefficient information from incident and reflected waves sampled at the port of the matching network, and follow at least one cycle of a coarse tune process for generating one or more control signals to tune one or more reactances of the one or more controllable variable reactive elements. Additional embodiments are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2019
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: William E. McKinzie, III, Heinz Bachmann, Greg Mendolia
  • Patent number: 10050598
    Abstract: A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, an adaptive impedance matching network having an RF matching network coupled to at least one RF input port and at least one RF output port and comprising one or more controllable variable reactive elements. The RF matching network can be adapted to reduce a level of reflected power transferred from said at least one input port by varying signals applied to said controllable variable reactive elements. The one or more controllable variable reactive elements can be coupled to a circuit adapted to map one or more control signals that are output from a controller to a signal range that is compatible with said one or more controllable variable reactive elements. Additional embodiments are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2018
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventor: William E. McKinzie, III
  • Publication number: 20180109235
    Abstract: A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure can include, for example, an apparatus having a matching network adapted to reduce a magnitude of a signal reflection at a port of the matching network. The matching network can have one or more controllable variable reactive elements. A controller can be adapted to determine reflection coefficient information from incident and reflected waves sampled at the port of the matching network, and follow at least one cycle of a coarse tune process for generating one or more control signals to tune one or more reactances of the one or more controllable variable reactive elements. Additional embodiments are disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 15, 2017
    Publication date: April 19, 2018
    Applicant: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: William E. McKinzie, III, Heinz Bachmann, Greg Mendolia
  • Patent number: 9853622
    Abstract: A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure can include, for example, an apparatus having a matching network adapted to reduce a magnitude of a signal reflection at a port of the matching network. The matching network can have one or more controllable variable reactive elements. A controller can be adapted to determine reflection coefficient information from incident and reflected waves sampled at the port of the matching network, and follow at least one cycle of a coarse tune process for generating one or more control signals to tune one or more reactances of the one or more controllable variable reactive elements. Additional embodiments are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2017
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: William E. McKinzie, III, Heinz Bachmann, Greg Mendolia
  • Publication number: 20170294891
    Abstract: A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, an adaptive impedance matching network having an RF matching network coupled to at least one RF input port and at least one RF output port and comprising one or more controllable variable reactive elements. The RF matching network can be adapted to reduce a level of reflected power transferred from said at least one input port by varying signals applied to said controllable variable reactive elements. The one or more controllable variable reactive elements can be coupled to a circuit adapted to map one or more control signals that are output from a controller to a signal range that is compatible with said one or more controllable variable reactive elements. Additional embodiments are disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2017
    Publication date: October 12, 2017
    Inventor: William E. McKinzie, III
  • Patent number: 9722577
    Abstract: A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, an adaptive impedance matching network having an RF matching network coupled to at least one RF input port and at least one RF output port and comprising one or more controllable variable reactive elements. The RF matching network can be adapted to reduce a level of reflected power transferred from said at least one input port by varying signals applied to said controllable variable reactive elements. The one or more controllable variable reactive elements can be coupled to a circuit adapted to map one or more control signals that are output from a controller to a signal range that is compatible with said one or more controllable variable reactive elements. Additional embodiments are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2017
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventor: William E. McKinzie, III
  • Patent number: 9579748
    Abstract: Substrates and methods to fabricate and use millimeter wave Sievenpiper EBG structures such that the conductive portions are internal to an LTCC package.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignees: E I DU PONT NEMOURS AND COMPANY, WEMTEC Inc.
    Inventors: Deepukumar M Nair, Michael Arnett Smith, James M Parisi, Elizabeth D Hughes, William E. Mckinzie, III
  • Patent number: 9472838
    Abstract: Electromagnetic slow wave structures (SWS) comprised of arrays of conductive obstacles are formed inside conductive parallel-plate waveguides These SWS may be formed using, for example, MEMS manufacturing processes at the wafer level on substrates including ceramic and silicon. An effective relative permittivity in the range of 15 to 40 may be obtained at millimeterwave frequencies. The SWS can be made absorptive by incorporating resistive losses in a plate of the PPW. Applications of these slow wave structures include delay lines and bootlace lens beamformers for microwave and millimeterwave antenna systems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2016
    Assignee: WEMTEC, INC.
    Inventor: William E. McKinzie, III
  • Patent number: 9431709
    Abstract: An antenna system is described which is comprised of an artificial magnetic conductor (AMC), an antenna element, and a feed network comprised of shielded feedlines whose outer conductor, or shield, is routed through the substrate of the AMC. The feedline outer conductor is connected to both the substantially continuous conductive surface and the array of capacitive patches forming the AMC. The shielded feedline suppresses the excitation of undesired TM modes within the AMC substrate, results in a stable return loss over a frequency range associated with the AMC's high surface impedance and surface wave bandgap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2016
    Assignee: WEMTEC, INC.
    Inventor: William E. McKinzie, III
  • Patent number: 9362601
    Abstract: A parallel plate waveguide structure may be configured to suppress spurious propagating modes by including a lossy frequency selective surface (FSS) formed from a resistive film. The electromagnetic material properties of individual layers disposed between the conductive plates of the waveguide may be engineered to extend the suppression band of the fundamental TE mode up to the cutoff frequency of the second TE mode, and to simultaneously create a multi-octave TM mode suppression band. Applications include, for example, cavity mode suppression in microwave and millimeterwave assemblies at the board, package, and chip level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2016
    Assignee: WEMTEC, INC.
    Inventor: William E. McKinzie, III
  • Publication number: 20150341012
    Abstract: A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, an adaptive impedance matching network having an RF matching network coupled to at least one RF input port and at least one RF output port and comprising one or more controllable variable reactive elements. The RF matching network can be adapted to reduce a level of reflected power transferred from said at least one input port by varying signals applied to said controllable variable reactive elements. The one or more controllable variable reactive elements can be coupled to a circuit adapted to map one or more control signals that are output from a controller to a signal range that is compatible with said one or more controllable variable reactive elements. Additional embodiments are disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 3, 2015
    Publication date: November 26, 2015
    Inventor: William E. McKinzie, III
  • Publication number: 20150214595
    Abstract: Electromagnetic slow wave structures (SWS) comprised of arrays of conductive obstacles are formed inside conductive parallel-plate waveguides These SWS may be formed using, for example, MEMS manufacturing processes at the wafer level on substrates including ceramic and silicon. An effective relative permittivity in the range of 15 to 40 may be obtained at millimeterwave frequencies. The SWS can be made absorptive by incorporating resistive losses in a plate of the PPW. Applications of these slow wave structures include delay lines and bootlace lens beamformers for microwave and millimeterwave antenna systems.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 2, 2015
    Publication date: July 30, 2015
    Inventor: William E. McKinzie, III
  • Publication number: 20150171498
    Abstract: A parallel plate waveguide structure may be configured to suppress spurious propagating modes by including a lossy frequency selective surface (FSS) formed from a resistive film. The electromagnetic material properties of individual layers disposed between the conductive plates of the waveguide may be engineered to extend the suppression band of the fundamental TE mode up to the cutoff frequency of the second TE mode, and to simultaneously create a multi-octave TM mode suppression band. Applications include, for example, cavity mode suppression in microwave and millimeterwave assemblies at the board, package, and chip level.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 25, 2015
    Publication date: June 18, 2015
    Inventor: William E. McKinzie, III
  • Patent number: 9024706
    Abstract: Electromagnetic slow wave structures (SWS) comprised of arrays of conductive obstacles are formed inside conductive parallel-plate waveguides These SWS may be formed using, for example, MEMS manufacturing processes at the wafer level on substrates including ceramic and silicon. An effective relative permittivity in the range of 15 to 40 may be obtained at millimeterwave frequencies. The SWS can be made absorptive by incorporating resistive losses in a plate of the PPW. Applications of these slow wave structures include delay lines and bootlace lens beamformers for microwave and millimeterwave antenna systems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2015
    Assignee: Wemtec, Inc.
    Inventor: William E. McKinzie, III
  • Publication number: 20150105037
    Abstract: A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure can include, for example, an apparatus having a matching network adapted to reduce a magnitude of a signal reflection at a port of the matching network. The matching network can have one or more controllable variable reactive elements. A controller can be adapted to determine reflection coefficient information from incident and reflected waves sampled at the port of the matching network, and follow at least one cycle of a coarse tune process for generating one or more control signals to tune one or more reactances of the one or more controllable variable reactive elements. Additional embodiments are disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2014
    Publication date: April 16, 2015
    Inventors: William E. McKinzie, III, Heinz Bachmann, Gregory Mendolia
  • Patent number: 9000869
    Abstract: A parallel plate waveguide structure may be configured to suppress spurious propagating modes by including a lossy frequency selective surface (FSS) formed from a resistive film. The electromagnetic material properties of individual layers disposed between the conductive plates of the waveguide may be engineered to extend the suppression band of the fundamental TE mode up to the cutoff frequency of the second TE mode, and to simultaneously create a multi-octave TM mode suppression band. Applications include, for example, cavity mode suppression in microwave and millimeterwave assemblies at the board, package, and chip level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: Wemtec, Inc.
    Inventor: William E. McKinzie, III
  • Patent number: 8942657
    Abstract: A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure can include, for example, an apparatus having a matching network adapted to reduce a magnitude of a signal reflection at a port of the matching network. The matching network can have one or more controllable variable reactive elements. A controller can be adapted to determine reflection coefficient information from incident and reflected waves sampled at the port of the matching network, and follow at least one cycle of a coarse tune process for generating one or more control signals to tune one or more reactances of the one or more controllable variable reactive elements. Additional embodiments are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2015
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: William E. McKinzie, III, Heinz Bachmann, Greg Mendolia
  • Publication number: 20140354513
    Abstract: Substrates and methods to fabricate and use millimeter wave Sievenpiper EBG structures such that the conductive portions are internal to an LTCC package.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 4, 2014
    Publication date: December 4, 2014
    Inventors: DEEPUKUMAR M. NAIR, Michael Arnett Smith, James M Parisi, Elizabeth D. Hughes, William E. Mckinzie, III
  • Patent number: 8816798
    Abstract: A parallel plate waveguide structure may be configured to suppress spurious propagating modes by including a lossy frequency selective surface (FSS). The electromagnetic material properties of individual layers disposed between the conductive plates of the waveguide may be engineered to extend the suppression band of the fundamental TE mode up to the cutoff frequency of the second TE mode. Examples of mode suppression structures are presented and analyzed by transverse resonance models. Applications include, for example, cavity mode suppression in microwave and millimeterwave assemblies at the board, package, and chip level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Assignee: WEMTEC, Inc.
    Inventor: William E. McKinzie, III
  • Publication number: 20140097995
    Abstract: An antenna system is described which is comprised of an artificial magnetic conductor (AMC), an antenna element, and a feed network comprised of shielded feedlines whose outer conductor, or shield, is routed through the substrate of the AMC. The feedline outer conductor is connected to both the substantially continuous conductive surface and the array of capacitive patches forming the AMC. The shielded feedline suppresses the excitation of undesired TM modes within the AMC substrate, results in a stable return loss over a frequency range associated with the AMC's high surface impedance and surface wave bandgap.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2013
    Publication date: April 10, 2014
    Inventor: William E. McKinzie, III