Control Of Delay With Semiconductive Means Patents (Class 333/164)
  • Patent number: 7898358
    Abstract: A millimeter waveband switch which enables high isolation without increasing passing loss, includes a first switching element that is connected in series between input and output terminals through which a signal passes; and a first transmission line having an electrical length of ½ wavelength and which is connected in parallel with the first switching element. Alternatively, the millimeter waveband switch may include: a first switching element having a first end connected in parallel to input and output terminals through which a signal passes; a first transmission line having an electrical length of ½ wavelength which is connected in parallel with the first switching element; and a second transmission line having an electrical length of ¼ wavelength and which is connected between aground and a second end of her first switching element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2011
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventor: Yoshihiro Tsukahara
  • Publication number: 20110006859
    Abstract: A tunable compact time delay circuit assembly is provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 9, 2009
    Publication date: January 13, 2011
    Inventor: Terry CISCO
  • Patent number: 7843282
    Abstract: The invention provides a phase shifter with flexible control voltage that is useful with all RF systems that phase shift a RF signal. The phase shifter according to the present invention may comprise transistors used as switching elements. In one aspect, the phase shifter provides the option of controlling a phase shifter with either a positive or a negative voltage control signal. For example, the dc ground of the transistors included in the phase shifter may be floated, either fixed or adjusted. The RF grounding of the transistors may be achieved by in-band resonant capacitors. Thus, the control voltage provided to the transistors is flexible in that it may be connected to a positive or negative control voltage, or it may be connected to ground, or it may swing from a positive control voltage to a negative control voltage or vice versa.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2010
    Assignee: ViaSat, Inc.
    Inventors: Kenneth V. Buer, Chris Grondahl
  • Patent number: 7839237
    Abstract: The invention provides a phase shifter with flexible control voltage that is useful with all RF systems that phase shift a RF signal. The phase shifter according to the present invention may comprise transistors used as switching elements. In one aspect, the phase shifter provides the option of controlling a phase shifter with either a positive or a negative voltage control signal. For example, the dc ground of the transistors included in the phase shifter may be floated, either fixed or adjusted. The RF grounding of the transistors may be achieved by in-band resonant capacitors. Thus, the control voltage provided to the transistors is flexible in that it may be connected to a positive or negative control voltage, or it may be connected to ground, or it may swing from a positive control voltage to a negative control voltage or vice versa.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2010
    Assignee: ViaSat, Inc.
    Inventors: Kenneth V. Buer, Chris Grondahl
  • Patent number: 7812689
    Abstract: Disclosed is a microwave phase shifter including switches each of which utilizes resonance between an off-capacitance of an FET and an inductor connected in parallel with the off-capacitance of the FET, an LPF, and an HPF, a series circuit of an inductor and an MIM capacitor is arranged in parallel with the FET in each portion of the resonance. In a layout of the LC series-connected circuit, though the inductor is of a non-close-packed structure, a metal member or a dielectric material having a relative dielectric constant higher than that of a dielectric substrate is arranged in a free space in a central portion of the inductor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2010
    Assignee: NEC Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: Takao Atsumo, Hiroshi Mizutani
  • Patent number: 7812690
    Abstract: The invention relates to a compact power-agile filter. The filter is a capacitance-weight filter comprising two electromagnetically-coupled oscillating circuits. Each oscillating circuit comprises capacitance weights. Each capacitance weight is controlled by signals. The filter comprises at least one motherboard and one daughterboard which are physically separate. The daughterboard comprises the capacitance weights, the motherboard comprises all the oscillating circuits. In particular, the invention applies to the power filter included in a radiocommunication system amplification module. For example, the invention can be used by a radiocommunication system that can be programmed by software means adapting to a range of signals extending over a wide frequency band.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2010
    Assignee: Thales
    Inventors: Georges Peyresoubes, Olivier Guillard, Patrice Richard
  • Patent number: 7764142
    Abstract: A bit phase shifter includes a plurality of phase shifters having phase shift amounts and connected in series through connection paths; and a first adjusting circuit provided in the connection path between every adjacent two of the plurality of phase shifters. The first adjusting circuit includes a first inductance which attains impedance matching to each of capacitances provided by the adjacent two phase shifters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2010
    Assignee: NEC Electronics Corporation
    Inventor: Tatsuya Miya
  • Publication number: 20100171567
    Abstract: A phase shifter and method include a hybrid coupler being ground shielded. The hybrid coupler with reflective terminations connected to the hybrid coupler is configured to phase shift an applied signal wherein the reflective terminations include a parallel LC circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 2, 2009
    Publication date: July 8, 2010
    Inventors: Harish Krishnaswamy, Arun Sridhar Natarajan, Alberto Valdes Garcia
  • Patent number: 7724107
    Abstract: A phase shifter includes a first signal path in which a first unit is disposed to advance a phase of a signal; a second signal path in which a second unit with no shunt capacitor is disposed to change the phase of the signal such that the changed phase is delayed than the advanced phase by the first unit; and a switch section configured to switch between the first signal path and said second signal path. The first unit comprises a filter, and the second unit is a transmission line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2010
    Assignee: NEC Electronics Corporation
    Inventor: Tatsuya Miya
  • Patent number: 7719386
    Abstract: A phase shifter selectively switches between a low-pass filter 13 and a high-pass filter 12 using single pole double throw switches 10a and 10b provided on the input and output sides, respectively, and operatively linked to each other. The single pole double throw switches 10a and 10b include FETs Q1c and Q1d that connect single pole side junctions and the low-pass filter, respectively, and inductance circuits (L1c and R2c, and L1d and R2d) connected in parallel with FETs Q1c and Q1d, respectively. The inductance circuits are respectively comprised of the inductor L1c and the resistor R2c connected in series and of the inductor L1 d and the resistor R2d connected in series.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2010
    Assignee: NEC Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: Takao Atsumo, Hiroshi Mizutani, Tatsuya Miya
  • Patent number: 7714681
    Abstract: A phase shifter device having two bandwidth modes arranged for altering the electrical length of a signal path between at least two different values, which device is adapted for guiding a signal through at least one of at least a first signal path having a first phase and amplitude filter characteristics for varying frequency of the signal, and a second signal path, having a second phase and amplitude filter characteristics for varying frequency of the signal. At least one of said first and second phase and amplitude filter characteristics is realized by means of an all-pass filter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2010
    Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget L M Ericsson (Publ)
    Inventor: Håkan Berg
  • Patent number: 7692270
    Abstract: A ferroelectric varactor suitable for capacitive shunt switching is disclosed. High resistivity silicon with a SiO2 layer and a patterned metallic layer deposited on top is used as the substrate. A ferroelectric thin-film layer deposited on the substrate is used for the implementation of the varactor. A top metal electrode is deposited on the ferroelectric thin-film layer forming a CPW transmission line. By using the capacitance formed by the large area ground conductors in the top metal electrode and bottom metallic layer, a series connection of the ferroelectric varactor with the large capacitor defined by the ground conductors is created. The large capacitor acts as a short to ground, eliminating the need for vias. The concept of switching ON and OFF state is based on the dielectric tunability of the ferroelectric thin-films. At 0 V, the varactor has the highest capacitance value, resulting in the signal to be shunted to ground, thus isolating the output from the input.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2010
    Assignee: University of Dayton
    Inventors: Guru Subramanyam, Andre Vorobiev, Spartak Gevorgian
  • Patent number: 7692516
    Abstract: Provided are a phase shifter with a photonic band gap (PBG) structure using a ferroelectric thin film. The phase shifter includes a microstrip transmission line acting as a microwave input/output line and a plurality of tunable capacitors arranged in the microstrip transmission line at regular intervals. Electrodes disposed on a substrate apply DC voltages to the plurality of tunable capacitors. Radio frequency (RF) chokes and quarter wavelength radial-stubs are connected between the electrodes and the microstrip transmission line in order to prevent high frequency signals from flowing into a DC bias terminal. A plurality of PBGS are periodically arrayed on a ground plane of the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2010
    Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
    Inventors: Young-Tae Kim, Han-Cheol Ryu, Min-Hwan Kwak, Seung-Eon Moon, Su-Jae Lee, Kwang-Yong Kang
  • Patent number: 7683737
    Abstract: A phase shifting method and a phase shifter are provided. The phase shifter comprises a first (200) and a second (202) transmission line structure in parallel, the structures having a common input, each structure comprising cascaded forward and backward transmission lines and the same number of components. The component values of the second structure are equal to the component values of the first structure multiplied by a given proportionality constant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2010
    Assignee: Nokia Corporation
    Inventors: Mikhail V. Lapin, Igor S. Nefedov, Stanislav I. Malovski, Sergei A. Tretyakov
  • Patent number: 7683738
    Abstract: A transmission line includes a signal conductor and at least one varactor diode capacitively coupled to the signal conductor. The transmission line's signal path delay is a function of its shunt capacitance, and the varactor's capacitance forms a part of the transmission line's shunt capacitance. The transmission line's signal path delay is adjusted by adjusting a control voltage across the varactor diode thereby to adjust the varactor diode's capacitance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2010
    Assignee: FormFactor, Inc.
    Inventor: Charles A. Miller
  • Publication number: 20090219112
    Abstract: The invention provides a phase shifter with flexible control voltage that is useful with all RF systems that phase shift a RF signal. The phase shifter according to the present invention may comprise transistors used as switching elements. In one aspect, the phase shifter provides the option of controlling a phase shifter with either a positive or a negative voltage control signal. For example, the dc ground of the transistors included in the phase shifter may be floated, either fixed or adjusted. The RF grounding of the transistors may be achieved by in-band resonant capacitors. Thus, the control voltage provided to the transistors is flexible in that it may be connected to a positive or negative control voltage, or it may be connected to ground, or it may swing from a positive control voltage to a negative control voltage or vice versa.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 18, 2009
    Publication date: September 3, 2009
    Inventors: Kenneth V. Buer, Chris Grondahl
  • Publication number: 20090219111
    Abstract: The invention provides a phase shifter with flexible control voltage that is useful with all RF systems that phase shift a RF signal. The phase shifter according to the present invention may comprise transistors used as switching elements. In one aspect, the phase shifter provides the option of controlling a phase shifter with either a positive or a negative voltage control signal. For example, the dc ground of the transistors included in the phase shifter may be floated, either fixed or adjusted. The RF grounding of the transistors may be achieved by in-band resonant capacitors. Thus, the control voltage provided to the transistors is flexible in that it may be connected to a positive or negative control voltage, or it may be connected to ground, or it may swing from a positive control voltage to a negative control voltage or vice versa.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 18, 2009
    Publication date: September 3, 2009
    Inventors: Kenneth V. Buer, Chris Grondahl
  • Patent number: 7570133
    Abstract: A true time delay (“TTD”) system with wideband passive amplitude compensation is provided. The TTD system includes an input switch, an output switch, a reference delay line disposed between the input switch and the output switch, and time delay lines disposed between the input switch and the output switch. Each time delay line (“TDL”) has a different line length, and includes a center conductor between two corresponding ground planes. Each center conductor has a width and is separated from the two corresponding ground planes by a gap space. For each TDL, the width of the center conductor is configured such that a loss of the TDL is substantially the same as a loss of every other TDL over a range of operating frequencies. For each TDL, the gap space is configured such that an impedance of the TDL is substantially the same as an impedance of every other TDL.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2009
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventors: William J. Taft, Joseph Alfred Iannotti, Christopher James Kapusta, Anthony W. Jacomb-Hood
  • Patent number: 7561007
    Abstract: A switchable phase shifter includes an RF coupler arrangement which simultaneously produces 0° and 180° signals, together with controllable switches which select the desired phase of output signal while maintaining the coupler arrangement terminated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2009
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventor: Kennith J. Heissler
  • Publication number: 20090140825
    Abstract: Disclosed is a microwave phase shifter including switches each of which utilizes resonance between an off-capacitance of an FET and an inductor connected in parallel with the off-capacitance of the FET, an LPF, and an HPF, a series circuit of an inductor and an MIM capacitor is arranged in parallel with the FET in each portion of the resonance. In a layout of the LC series-connected circuit, though the inductor is of a non-close-packed structure, a metal member or a dielectric material having a relative dielectric constant higher than that of a dielectric substrate is arranged in a free space in a central portion of the inductor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 11, 2008
    Publication date: June 4, 2009
    Applicant: NEC ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takao Atsumo, Hiroshi Mizutani
  • Patent number: 7541894
    Abstract: A phase-shifting circuit includes: a first parallel circuit which is connected across input and output terminals of a high frequency signal, composed of a first inductor and a first switching element that exhibits a through state in an ON state and a capacitive property in an OFF state, and produces parallel resonance at a prescribed frequency when the first switching element is in the OFF state; a series circuit composed of a second inductor and a third inductor and connected in parallel with the first parallel circuit; a capacitor having its first terminal connected to a point of connection of the second and third inductors; and a second parallel circuit which is connected across a second terminal of the capacitor and a ground, composed of a fourth inductor and a second switching element that exhibits a through state in an ON state and a capacitive property in an OFF state, and produces parallel resonance at a prescribed frequency when the second switching element is in the OFF state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2009
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Kenichi Miyaguchi, Morishige Hieda, Tamotsu Nishino, Masatake Hangai, Moriyasu Miyazaki, Yukihisa Yoshida, Tadashi Takagi, Mikio Hatamoto
  • Patent number: 7535320
    Abstract: The invention provides a phase shifter with flexible control voltage that is useful with all RF systems that phase shift a RF signal. The phase shifter according to the present invention may comprise transistors used as switching elements. In one aspect, the phase shifter provides the option of controlling a phase shifter with either a positive or a negative voltage control signal. For example, the dc ground of the transistors included in the phase shifter may be floated i.e. fixed or adjusted. The RF grounding of the transistors may be achieved by in-band resonant capacitors. Thus, the control voltage provided to the transistors is flexible in that it may be connected to a positive or negative control voltage, or it may be connected to ground, or it may swing from a positive control voltage to a negative control voltage or vice versa.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2009
    Assignee: U.S. Monolithics, L.L.C.
    Inventors: Kenneth V Buer, Chris Grondahl
  • Patent number: 7498999
    Abstract: A circuit board for wireless communications includes communication circuitry for modulating and/or demodulating a radio frequency (RF) signal and an antenna apparatus for transmitting and receiving the RF signal, the antenna apparatus having selectable antenna elements located near one or more peripheries of the circuit board and selectable phase shifting. A switching network couples one or more of the selectable elements to the communication circuitry and provides impedance matching regardless of which or how many of the antenna elements are selected, and includes a selectable phase shifter to allow the phase of the antenna elements to be shifted by 180 degrees. The phase shifter includes a first RF switch and two ¼-wavelength delay lines of PCB traces or delay elements and a second RF switch. The phase shifter selectively provides a straight-through path, a 180 degree phase shift, a high impedance state, or a notch filter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2009
    Assignee: Ruckus Wireless, Inc.
    Inventor: Victor Shtrom
  • Patent number: 7498903
    Abstract: Digital phase shifter, comprising series connection of controlled phase shifting bits (3a-3k), each of them inserts determinate amount of phase delay of the passing signal, wherein the phase change occur in response to the control signal switching the phase cells 3k and applied to its steering terminal 4k for a switching element (11, 21, 22, 31, 32) of each of the cells 3, characterized in applying as a switching element (11,21,22,31,32) the discrete p-HEMT (pseudomorphic high electron mobility transistors) with positive or negative pinch-off voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2009
    Assignee: Raysat Cyprus Ltd.
    Inventor: Stanimir Kamenopolski
  • Patent number: 7495529
    Abstract: Provided is a small-size phase shift circuit having a broad band characteristic. The phase shift circuit includes: a first switching element for switching between a through path and a capacitance capacity; a second switching element for switching the capacitance capacity for the through path and the ground; and a first and a second inductor having inductance. One end of the first switching element is connected to one end of the second switching element by the first inductor while the other ends of the first and the second switching element are connected to each other by the second inductor. One end of the first switching element is connected to a high-frequency signal input terminal while the other end of the first switching element is connected to a high-frequency signal output terminal. Thus, it is possible to constitute a phase device satisfying a predetermined condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2009
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kenichi Miyaguchi, Morishige Hieda, Tamotsu Nishino, Masatake Hangai, Moriyasu Miyazaki, Norihiro Yunoue, Hideki Hatakeyama, Yukihisa Yoshida, Tadashi Takagi
  • Publication number: 20090015349
    Abstract: A new technique is presented that allows for controlling the phase of a propagating signal by selectively switching in and out relatively small perturbations along a transmission line section that provide slightly different physical paths for the currents to follow. By using relatively minor perturbations, the phase of a transmission line section can be controlled without drastically altering the impedance of the section, thereby maintaining good impedance matching properties. Also, by keeping the alternate current paths small, generally fine control of phase shift is possible along with allowing the design to remain relatively simple. Such tunable elements can then be incorporated in designs where resonators (or other elements) are separated by specific phase lengths to construct other signal processing functions, such as filters.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 11, 2008
    Publication date: January 15, 2009
    Inventor: Thomas J. Ellis
  • Publication number: 20090009265
    Abstract: A varactor based phase shifter that increases phase shift range using an impedance transformer to impart a low characteristic impedance between an input port and a reference node port. The characteristic impedance across the port is therefore less than the characteristic impedance would be otherwise, and the phase shift range is increased. In one embodiment, a simple reflection phase modifier can be used in a phased array using space feed parasitic antenna elements. This type of analog varactor reflection phase modifier can provide fine phase resolution, and the array can thus be used for low-loss adaptive beam forming.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2007
    Publication date: January 8, 2009
    Applicant: InterDigital Technology Corporation
    Inventor: Bing Chiang
  • Patent number: 7456706
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for providing an electrically adjustable RF delay in which a splitter splits an input signal into two signal paths, one signal path providing a delay fixed at an integral number of wavelengths of a desired center frequency and both signal paths providing electrically adjustable attenuation. A combiner combines the signals passing through the signal paths, such that the sum of the electrically-adjustable attenuation provided by the signal paths adds to unity, whereby the input signal is delayed by an adjustable time depending upon the attenuations provided by the signal paths.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2008
    Assignee: SOMA Networks, Inc.
    Inventor: James R. Blodgett
  • Patent number: 7355492
    Abstract: The inventions presented herein provide a electronically controlled phase shifters that incorporate analog and digital phase shift architectures in a novel manner that realizes the best advantages of each architecture. This combination of complementary phase shift architectures provides the high-performance and low loss characteristics of switched digital phase shift architectures with the high resolution and precision of continuous analog phase shift architectures. The circuit embodiments are electronically controlled, which simplifies implementation of what is a complex circuit. The analog phase shift elements comprise electronically-tuned varactors, which provide fine resolution and enables the incorporation of active compensation for manufacturing variation before use or for environmental conditions during use.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2008
    Assignee: Xcom Wireless
    Inventors: Daniel J. Hyman, Roger T. Kuroda
  • Publication number: 20080048800
    Abstract: A delay line system able to reduce the microwave loss by reducing the effective dielectric loss and dielectric constant of the system including a signal line, dielectric system with opened trench or slot filled up with the air or lower dielectric loss material, a ground plane, and a system of switches if the line is to be variable. The delay line proposed in this invention could be made of any type of signal line configuration, for example: micro-strip line, strip line, or coplanar line. The signal line can also be made as single ended or differential pairs of any configurations. The delay line systems based on the fundamental techniques provided in this invention can be used for on-chip devices where the delay line is laid on the oxide or dielectric material, or in a traditional PCB implementation such as FR4.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 25, 2006
    Publication date: February 28, 2008
    Applicant: BANPIL PHOTONICS, INC.
    Inventor: ACHYUT KUMAR DUTTA
  • Patent number: 7336143
    Abstract: First and second reactance parts are connected with the first and second output terminals of a hybrid coupler. The first and second reactance parts have a substantially identical reactance X.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2008
    Assignee: Soshin Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Itsuaki Katsumata, Tokumi Kobayashi, Masahiko Yokoyama
  • Patent number: 7315225
    Abstract: A single-structure, two-bit phase shifter useful for steering the beam of an antenna such as an aeronautical antenna. The phase shifter includes an input line, an output line, a plurality of switched lines such as quarter-wavelength microstrip lines connected directly or indirectly between the input line and the output line, and a plurality of switches for selectively and controllably connecting one or more of the switched lines between the input line and the output line. The phase shifter controllably connects one or more of the switched lines in series between the input line and the output line, thus providing phase shifts of an input radio frequency (RF) signal between one of four discrete phase shift amounts. Using up to three quarter-wavelength switched lines, the phase shifter provides phase shifts in increments of ninety degrees, e.g., phase shifts of zero, ninety, one hundred eighty, and two hundred seventy degrees (0°, 90°, 180°, and 270°).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2008
    Assignee: EMS Technologies Canada, Ltd.
    Inventor: Sergiy Borysenko
  • Publication number: 20070296524
    Abstract: A distributed phase shifter including: a first planar winding having its ends defining accesses in phase opposition; a second planar winding coupled with the first one and grounded by a first capacitive element; a third planar winding in a conductive level different from that receiving the first winding and electrically in series with the second winding; and a fourth planar winding, coupled with the third one in a conductive level different from that receiving the second winding, first ends of the third and fourth windings being connected by a capacitive element and their second ends being connected by another capacitive element, their first and second respective ends defining accesses in phase quadrature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 29, 2007
    Publication date: December 27, 2007
    Applicant: STMicroelectronics S.A.
    Inventors: Hilal Ezzeddine, Francois Dupont, Benjamin Therond
  • Patent number: 7292124
    Abstract: A variable resonator is provided which comprises signal conductor 13 formed on top side surface of dielectric substrate 12, ground conductor layer 11 formed on back side surface thereof and switches 14, wherein signal conductor comprises a plurality of first conductor lines 13-1 and second conductor line 13-2 connected with all of first conductor lines, each first conductor line has a width larger than that of second conductor line to thereby a signal path through which high-frequency electric signal passes and which is longer than length of second conductor line is provided, switches 14 are connected to the ends of first conductor lines, whereby selectively opening and closing switches will electrically disconnect and interconnect interspaces between ends of first conductor lines to thereby vary length of signal path and thus change resonance frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2007
    Assignee: NTT DoCoMo, Inc.
    Inventors: Kunihiro Kawai, Daisuke Koizumi, Hiroshi Okazaki, Shoichi Narahashi, Yasushi Yamao
  • Patent number: 7289001
    Abstract: An oscillator includes a phase shifter and a power distributor which are disposed in a dielectric substrate comprising a plurality of stacked dielectric layers. The phase shifter comprises a coupler and a reflecting circuit. The dielectric substrate has a first formation region containing a plurality of electrodes serving as the coupler, a second formation region containing a plurality of electrodes serving as the reflecting circuit, and a third formation region containing a plurality of electrodes serving as the power distributor. The first formation region, the second formation region, and the third formation region are disposed in respective positions that are spaced from each other in a plane within the dielectric substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2007
    Assignee: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenji Suzuki, Tatsuya Tsuruoka
  • Patent number: 7276993
    Abstract: A circuit topology is configured to flatten out a phase- and amplitude-response over a specified range of frequencies. The circuit topology also provides a large cumulative phase-shift. In one embodiment, the circuit topology cascades a plurality of all-pass sections, with the center-frequencies of each all-pass section staggered to create a substantially flat phase-response over a frequency range. Further, in one embodiment the plurality of all-pass sections has at least one all-pass section that is different from another all-pass section. Each all-pass section includes a tunable capacitor and has a center-frequency that can be varied by electronically tuning the capacitor. Each center frequency is selected to obtain substantially constant amplitude and phase response over a desired frequency range and capacitance tuning range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2007
    Assignee: Agile RF, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert A. York
  • Patent number: 7259642
    Abstract: A paraelectric transmission line layer and a ferroelectric transmission line layer are laminated through a ground conductor, and plural phase shifters, which are connected via through holes that pass through the ground conductor, are disposed on both of the transmission line layers at some positions on a feeding line that branches off from the input terminal between all antenna terminals and an input terminal to which a high-frequency power is applied. In addition, loss elements each having the same transmission loss amount as the phase shifter, or the phase shifters are disposed so that transmission loss amounts from all of the antenna terminals to the input terminal are equalized. Accordingly, an antenna control unit which can be manufactured in fewer manufacturing processes and has a pointed beam and a large beam tilt amount, and a phased-array antenna that employs such an antenna control unit are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2007
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hideki Kirino
  • Patent number: 7239220
    Abstract: A transmission line includes a signal conductor and at least one varactor diode capacitively coupled to the signal conductor. The transmission line's signal path delay is a function of its shunt capacitance, and the varactor's capacitance forms a part of the transmission line's shunt capacitance. The transmission line's signal path delay is adjusted by adjusting a control voltage across the varactor diode thereby to adjust the varactor diode's capacitance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2007
    Assignee: FormFactor, Inc.
    Inventor: Charles A. Miller
  • Patent number: 7239218
    Abstract: A phase shifter with a low insertion loss in which impedance mismatch at a point in rear of a high-pass filter or a low-pass filter in the signal flow direction is reduced and difference in insertion loss or phase shifting error across a high-pass filter- low-pass filter is suppressed. A single pole double throw switch, provided on the input side, and another single pole double throw switch, provided on the output side and operatively linked to the single pole double throw switch, are changed over between a low-pass filter and a high-pass filter. An impedance adjustment circuit, provided between an input terminal and the single pole double throw switch, is made up by a capacitor, connected across the input terminal and a single pole side junction of the single pole double throw switch, and an inductor connected across the input terminal and ground.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2007
    Assignee: NEC Electronics Corporation
    Inventor: Junichi Nakamura
  • Patent number: 7205866
    Abstract: A varactor based phase shifter that increases phase shift range using an impedance transformer to impart a low characteristic impedance between an input port and a reference node port. The characteristic impedance across the port is therefore less than the characteristic impedance would be otherwise, and the phase shift range is increased. In one embodiment, a simple reflection phase modifier can be used in a phased array using space feed parasitic antenna elements. This type of analog varactor reflection phase modifier can provide fine phase resolution, and the array can thus be used for low-loss adaptive beam forming.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2007
    Assignee: IPR Licensing, Inc.
    Inventor: Bing Chiang
  • Patent number: 7173503
    Abstract: An RF phase shifter includes the cascade of active and passive RF phase shift bits, having different phase increments. The active phase shift bit includes a FET with source and drain. First and second RF single-pole, double throw switches have their common elements coupled to the source and drain, respectively, for selectively connecting one of the in-phase source signals and out-of-phase drain signals to a third switch, and for coupling the non-selected signal to a reference. The third switch outputs the available signal. Additional phase increments may be included to achieve phase shifts or differences other than 180°.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2007
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventor: Roland Cadotte, Jr.
  • Patent number: 7170446
    Abstract: A phased array antenna is provided having a plurality of phase shifter devices for phase shifting and beam steering a radiated beam of the phased array antenna. The plurality of phase shifter devices are interconnected with an interconnect structure comprising a plurality of linear array substrate slats. Each linear array substrate slat includes a plurality of radiating elements formed using first and second metal layers of the substrate slat, a plurality of phase shifter devices and a common RF feed conductor for the plurality of radiating elements. The common RF feed conductor is formed on a third metal layer of the substrate slat that is disposed between the first and second metal layers. The common RF feed conductor is configured to include a single location for electrical connections to receive RF signals for the plurality of radiating elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2007
    Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc.
    Inventors: James B. West, John C. Mather
  • Patent number: 7167064
    Abstract: A phase shift circuit and a phase shifter are achieved which are small in size and wide in bandwidth. The phase shift circuit includes a capacitor, and a series circuit composed of a switching element which exhibits capacitivity when it is in an off-state and an inductor connected in series with this switching element, the series circuit being connected in parallel with the capacitor. The capacitor and one terminal of the series circuit are connected with a high frequency signal input/output terminal, and the other terminal thereof is connected with ground.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2007
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kenichi Miyaguchi, Morishige Hieda, Michiaki Kasahara, Tadashi Takagi, Mikio Hatamoto
  • Patent number: 7164330
    Abstract: Provided is a broadband phase shifter using a coupled line and parallel open and short stubs. The broadband phase shifter of the present research has a new switching network structure by forming a coupled line, main transmission lines and parallel ?/8 (45°) open and short stubs on both ends of the main transmission lines in order to obtain broadband phase characteristic that the phase difference between two networks is uniform.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2007
    Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
    Inventor: Soon-Young Eom
  • Patent number: 7154357
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2006
    Assignee: Paratek Microwave, Inc.
    Inventors: Andrey Kozyrev, Louise C. Sengupta, Yongfei Zhu
  • Patent number: 7123115
    Abstract: An embodiment of the present invention provides a phase shifter, comprising: a base dielectric layer; a tunable dielectric layer overlaying at least a portion of the base dielectric layer; and at least two conductors overlaying at least a portion of the tunable dielectric layer, the at least two conductors positioned so as to form a slot-line topology. In an embodiment of the present invention the slot-line may be between 2 ?m and 5 ?m wide and the tunable dielectric layer may be between 0.3 ?m to 1.5 ?m thick. Further, the slot-line topology may be a uniform slot-line topology throughout the length of the at least two conductors and the slot-line topology may have an edge ratio defined by r=Llow/(Llow+Lhigh). The edge ratio may be optimized for minimizing metal loss and minimizing dielectric loss for a given phase shifter length. In an embodiment of the present invention the value of r may be between 0.1 and 0.2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2006
    Assignee: Paratek Microwave, Inc.
    Inventor: Cornelis Frederik du Toit
  • Patent number: 7123116
    Abstract: A phase shifter includes an FET 2a having its drain electrode connected to an input/output terminal 1a; and FET 2b having its drain electrode connected to the source electrode of the FET 2a and its source electrode connected to an input/output terminal 1b; and FET 2c having its drain electrode connected to the source electrode of the FET 2a; and an inductor 3a having its first terminal connected to the source electrode of the FET 2c and its second terminal connected to a ground. It can reduce the insertion loss by narrowing the gate width of the FET 2a, and carries out the phase shift of a high-frequency signal with suppressing the reflection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2006
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Morishige Hieda, Kenichi Miyaguchi, Michiaki Kasahara, Tadashi Takagi, Hiroshi Ikematsu, Norio Takeuchi, Hiromasa Nakaguro, Kazuyoshi Inami
  • Patent number: 7057474
    Abstract: A transmission line includes a signal conductor and at least one varactor diode capacitively coupled to the signal conductor. The transmission line's signal path delay is a function of its shunt capacitance, and the varactor's capacitance forms a part of the transmission line's shunt capacitance. The transmission line's signal path delay is adjusted by adjusting a control voltage across the varactor diode thereby to adjust the varactor diode's capacitance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2006
    Assignee: FormFactor, Inc.
    Inventor: Charles A. Miller
  • Patent number: 7053732
    Abstract: A multi-bit time-delay adjuster with Radio Frequency (RF) MicroElectroMechanical (MEM) switches may be used in MultiCarrier Power Amplifiers (MCPAs) with a feed-forward linearization technique. The multi-bit time-delay adjuster makes it possible to automatically control a time-delay match with very high precision typically required in feed-forward MCPAs. A searching process for the automatic control of time-delay match is also introduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2006
    Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (publ)
    Inventor: Shu-Ang Zhou
  • Patent number: 7015773
    Abstract: A varactor based phase shifter that increases phase shift range using a lower characteristic impedance between quadrature ports than is used at its input/output ports. The circuit makes use of a four port coupler arrangement that imbeds a quarter wave impedance transformation between the input port and the quadrature ports as well as between the quadrature ports and the output port. The characteristic impedance across the quadrature ports is therefore less than the characteristic impedance across the input and output ports. In one implementation, reducing a characteristic input/output impedance of 50 to a 20 ohm quadrature port impedance results in a phase shift range increase of more than 50%.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2006
    Assignee: IPR Licensing, Inc.
    Inventors: Bing Chiang, James A. Proctor, Jr., Kenneth M. Gainey