Patents by Inventor William E. McKinzie

William E. McKinzie 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: 8125399
    Abstract: An embodiment of the present invention an apparatus, comprising an apparatus, comprising an adaptively-tuned antenna including a variable reactance network connected to the antenna, an RF field probe located near the antenna, an RF detector to sense voltage from the field probe, a controller that monitors the RF voltage and supplies control signals to a driver circuit and wherein the driver circuit converts the control signals to bias signals for the variable reactance network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2012
    Assignee: Paratek Microwave, Inc.
    Inventors: William E. McKinzie, Greg Mendolia, Keith Manssen
  • Publication number: 20110304408
    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 25, 2011
    Publication date: December 15, 2011
    Applicant: PARATEK MICROWAVE, INC.
    Inventor: William E. McKinzie, III
  • Patent number: 8035568
    Abstract: An electromagnetic reactive edge treatment including an array of capacitively-loaded loops is disposed at or near an edge of a conductive wedge. The axes of the loops are oriented parallel to the edge of the wedge. This edge treatment may enhance or suppress the hard diffraction coefficient, depending on the resonant frequency fo of the array of loaded loops. Diffraction of incident waves that are lower (higher) in frequency than fo may be enhanced (suppressed) due to the increase (decrease) in effective permeability of the volume occupied by the array of loops. Applications include controlling antenna patterns, side lobe levels, and backlobe levels for antennas mounted on conductive surfaces near edges or corners.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2011
    Assignee: Wemtec, Inc.
    Inventors: Rodolfo E. Diaz, William E. McKinzie, III
  • Patent number: 8008982
    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: March 11, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2011
    Assignee: Paratek Microwave, Inc.
    Inventor: William E. McKinzie, III
  • Publication number: 20110043298
    Abstract: An embodiment of the present invention provides an apparatus, comprising an RF matching network connected to at least one RF input port and at least one RF output port and including one or more voltage or current controlled variable reactive elements; a voltage detector connected to the at least one RF output port via a variable voltage divider to determine the voltage at the at least one RF output port and provide voltage information to a controller that controls a bias driving circuit which provides voltage or current bias to the RF matching network; a variable voltage divider connected to the voltage detector and implemented using a multi-pole RF switch to select one of a plurality of different resistance ratios to improve the dynamic range of the apparatus; and wherein the RF matching network is adapted to maximize RF power transferred from the at least one RF input port to the at least one RF output port by varying the voltage or current to the voltage or current controlled variable reactive elements to
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 3, 2010
    Publication date: February 24, 2011
    Applicant: PARATEK MICROWAVE, INC.
    Inventor: William E. McKinzie, III
  • Patent number: 7889134
    Abstract: Apparatus for suppressing noise and electromagnetic coupling in the printed circuit board of an electronic device includes an upper conductive plate and an array of conductive coplanar patches positioned a distance t2 from the upper conductive plate. The distance t2 is chosen to optimize capacitance between the conductive coplanar patches and the upper conductive plate for suppression of noise or electromagnetic coupling. The apparatus further includes a lower conductive plate a distance t1 from the array of conductive coplanar patches and conductive rods extending from respective patches to the lower conductive plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2011
    Assignee: Wemtec, Inc.
    Inventors: William E. McKinzie, III, Shawn D. Rogers
  • Patent number: 7869187
    Abstract: An acoustic bandgap structure can include a stack of at least three ferroelectric layers with a top side and bottom side of each of the ferroelectric layers contacting an electrode layer, where the ferroelectric layers and the electrode layers form a substantially periodic structure in the direction normal to the ferroelectric and electrode layers and where an acoustic characteristic impedance and thickness of each layer are selected to realize an acoustic bandgap over a desired frequency band for the purpose of improving the device Q.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2011
    Assignee: Paratek Microwave, Inc.
    Inventor: William E. McKinzie, III
  • Publication number: 20100315302
    Abstract: An electromagnetic reactive edge treatment including an array of capacitively-loaded loops is disposed at or near an edge of a conductive wedge. The axes of the loops are oriented parallel to the edge of the wedge. This edge treatment may enhance or suppress the hard diffraction coefficient, depending on the resonant frequency fo of the array of loaded loops. Diffraction of incident waves that are lower (higher) in frequency than fo may be enhanced (suppressed) due to the increase (decrease) in effective permeability of the volume occupied by the array of loops. Applications include controlling antenna patterns, side lobe levels, and backlobe levels for antennas mounted on conductive surfaces near edges or corners.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 18, 2010
    Publication date: December 16, 2010
    Inventors: Rodolfo E. Diaz, William E. McKinzie, III
  • Patent number: 7852170
    Abstract: An embodiment of the present invention provides an apparatus, comprising an RF matching network connected to at least one RF input port and at least one RF output port and including one or more voltage or current controlled variable reactive elements; a voltage detector connected to the at least one RF output port via a variable voltage divider to determine the voltage at the at least one RF output port and provide voltage information to a controller that controls a bias driving circuit which provides voltage or current bias to the RF matching network; a variable voltage divider connected to the voltage detector and implemented using a multi-pole RF switch to select one of a plurality of different resistance ratios to improve the dynamic range of the apparatus; and wherein the RF matching network is adapted to maximize RF power transferred from the at least one RF input port to the at least one RF output port by varying the voltage or current to the voltage or current controlled variable reactive elements to
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2010
    Assignee: Paratek Microwave, Inc.
    Inventor: William E. McKinzie, III
  • Publication number: 20100201465
    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: Application
    Filed: February 24, 2010
    Publication date: August 12, 2010
    Inventor: William E. McKinzie, III
  • Patent number: 7764241
    Abstract: An electromagnetic reactive edge treatment including an array of capacitively-loaded loops is disposed at or near an edge of a conductive wedge. The axes of the loops are oriented parallel to the edge of the wedge. This edge treatment may enhance or suppress the hard diffraction coefficient, depending on the resonant frequency fo of the array of loaded loops. Diffraction of incident waves that are lower (higher) in frequency than fo may be enhanced (suppressed) due to the increase (decrease) in effective permeability of the volume occupied by the array of loops. Applications include controlling antenna patterns, side lobe levels, and backlobe levels for antennas mounted on conductive surfaces near edges or corners.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2010
    Assignee: Wemtec, Inc.
    Inventors: Rodolfo E. Diaz, William E. McKinzie, III
  • Publication number: 20100180437
    Abstract: A hybrid electromagnetic bandgap (EBG) structure for broadband suppression of noise on printed wiring boards includes an array of coplanar patches interconnected into a grid by series inductances, and a corresponding array of shunt LC networks connecting the coplanar patches to a second conductive plane. This combination of series inductances and shunt resonant vias lowers the cutoff frequency for the fundamental stopband. The series inductances and shunt capacitances may be implemented using surface mount component technology, or printed traces. Patches may also be interconnected by coplanar coupled transmission lines. The even and odd mode impedances of the coupled lines may be increased by forming slots in the second conductive plane disposed opposite to the transmission line, lowering the cutoff frequency and increasing the bandwidth of the fundamental stopband.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 21, 2009
    Publication date: July 22, 2010
    Inventor: William E. McKinzie, III
  • Publication number: 20100164640
    Abstract: A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a matching network having one or more controllable variable reactive elements coupled to at least one input port and at least one output port. The one or more controllable variable reactive elements can be adapted to increase power transferred from the at least one input port to the at least one output port responsive to signals generated by a controller adapted to adjust one or more reactances within the matching network according to a mode of operation of a device detected by the controller. Additional embodiments are disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2010
    Publication date: July 1, 2010
    Applicant: PARATEK MICROWAVE, INC.
    Inventor: WILLIAM E. McKINZIE, III
  • Publication number: 20100164641
    Abstract: A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, an apparatus having one or more controllable variable reactive elements coupled to at least one input port and at least one output port, and a voltage detector coupled to the at least one output port to provide voltage information to a controller. The controller can be adapted to generate one or more control signals responsive to the voltage information provided by the voltage detector. The one or more controllable variable reactive elements can be coupled to a circuit adapted to map the one or more control signals that are output from the controller to a signal range that is compatible with said one or more controllable variable reactive elements. Additional embodiments are disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2010
    Publication date: July 1, 2010
    Applicant: PARATEK MICROWAVE, INC.
    Inventor: William E. McKinzie, III
  • Publication number: 20100164639
    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: March 11, 2010
    Publication date: July 1, 2010
    Applicant: PARATEK MICROWAVE, INC.
    Inventor: William E. McKinzie, III
  • Publication number: 20100156552
    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: March 5, 2010
    Publication date: June 24, 2010
    Applicant: PARATEK MICROWAVE, INC.
    Inventors: William E. McKinzie, III, Heinz Bachmann, Greg Mendolia
  • Patent number: 7737899
    Abstract: A bandpass radome is described including inductive layers comprising periodic conductive grids. First and second capacitive patch layers may be disposed above, and third and fourth capacitive patch layers may be disposed below the inductive layer to realize a 2-pole bandpass radome. An additional inductive layer and a fifth and sixth capacitive patch layers may be added below the fourth capacitive layer to realize a 3-pole bandpass radome. Conductive posts may connect one of the uppermost patch layers to one of the lowermost patch layers without connecting to the intervening inductive conductive grids. The conductive posts may form a rodded medium to suppress transverse magnetic (TM) surface waves. The total thickness of the bandpass radome may be less than 1/30 of a free-space wavelength at the center of a passband frequency. More than one passband may be separated by a ratio of center frequencies exceeding 1.5.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2010
    Assignee: Wemtec, Inc.
    Inventor: William E. McKinzie, III
  • Patent number: 7714676
    Abstract: An embodiment of the present invention provides an apparatus, comprising an RF matching network connected to at least one RF input port and at least one RF output port and including one or more voltage or current controlled variable reactive elements and wherein the RF matching network is adapted to maximize RF power transferred from the at least one RF input port to the at least one RF output port by varying the voltage or current to the voltage or current controlled variable reactive elements to maximize the RF voltage at the at least one RF output port. The variable reactive elements may be variable capacitances, variable inductances, or both.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2010
    Assignee: Paratek Microwave, Inc.
    Inventor: William E. McKinzie, III
  • Patent number: 7711337
    Abstract: An embodiment of the present invention an apparatus, comprising an adaptive impedance matching module (AIMM) adapted to minimize the magnitude of an input reflection coefficient seen at an RFin port under boundary conditions of a variable load impedance ZL, a tuner connected to the AIMM and including a plurality of variable reactance networks with independent control signals, wherein node voltages are sampled within the tuner; and a microcontroller or digital signal processor (DSP) calculates complex reflection coefficient information from the sampled voltages, the microcontroller or DSP providing a coarse and fine tune function that feeds bias signals to control impedance matching.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2010
    Assignee: Paratek Microwave, Inc.
    Inventors: William E. Mckinzie, III, Heinz Bachmann, Greg Mendolia
  • Publication number: 20100085260
    Abstract: An embodiment of the present invention is a method, comprising improving the radiated harmonic distortion of a transmitting antenna system by sensing the RF voltage present on a variable reactance network within the antenna system; controlling the bias signal presented to the variable reactance network; and maximizing the RF voltage present on the variable reactance network.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 13, 2009
    Publication date: April 8, 2010
    Inventors: William E. McKinzie, Oreg Mendolia, Keith Manssen