Impedance Matching (e.g., Y-match Or Delta Match) Patents (Class 340/538.14)
  • Patent number: 11800331
    Abstract: A distributed antenna system (DAS) having a communication component management system is provided that includes at least one communication component, at least one building sensor and at least one controller. The at least one communication component is used to establish a communication link between user equipment within an area of a building and the DAS. The at least one building sensor is located to sense environmental conditions within the building as part of a building control management system. The at least one controller is in communication with the at least one communication component. The at least one controller is further communicatively coupled to receive sensor data from the at least one building sensor. The at least one controller is configured to selectively change an operation state of the at least one communication component based at least in part on received sensor data from the at least one building sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: CommScope Technologies LLC
    Inventors: Alfred Josef Lupper, Arndt Paul Pischke, Gerhard Braun
  • Patent number: 11636303
    Abstract: A ground switch is disclosed. The ground switch includes an antenna port, a pair of switching devices coupled with the antenna port and a charge pump coupled with the pair of devices and configured to turn on/off the pair of devices based on an AC input signal received through the antenna port and a DC offset voltage added to the AC input signal. The ground switch further includes a clamping circuit to clamp an output of the charge pump. The ground switch is configured to provide a stable ground to components of devices such that a radio frequency identification (RFID) device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2023
    Assignee: NXP B.V.
    Inventors: Thomas Pichler, Ivan Jesus Rebollo Pimentel
  • Patent number: 11495106
    Abstract: An alarm device for a fire alarm system is described herein. One device includes at least one of an audio notification mechanism and a visual notification mechanism, a supercapacitor, and a controller configured to allow the supercapacitor to power the at least one of the audio notification mechanism and the visual notification mechanism upon a short circuit fault occurring on a loop of the fire alarm system while the alarm device is in an alarm state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Barson, Karim Bouras
  • Patent number: 10938249
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for various tunable multi-timescale wireless rectification systems. Tunable multi-timescale wireless rectification systems may include multiple feedback control loops, systems, or sub-systems that modify characteristics of components of a wireless rectification system on various timescales. A wireless rectification system may include antennas, impedance-matching components, rectifying devices, DC-to-DC converters, and/or load controllers. Two or more feedback controls may function on different timescales to modify one or more characteristics or functionalities of components of the wireless rectification system in response to monitored AC and/or DC power values at various locations within the wireless rectification system. Feedback controls operating on various timescales may include antenna feedback controls, impedance feedback controls, rectifying feedback controls, and/or DC feedback controls.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Assignee: Searete LLC
    Inventors: Daniel Arnitz, Lawrence F. Arnstein, Jeffrey A. Bowers, Joseph A. Hagerty, Russell J. Hannigan, Guy S. Lipworth, David R. Nash, Matthew S. Reynolds, Clarence T. Tegreene, Yaroslav A. Urzhumov
  • Patent number: 10644393
    Abstract: An RF energy transmitting apparatus is applied to an RF energy harvesting apparatus, the RF energy transmitting apparatus includes: a power radar transmitter receiving a power source signal and emits an electromagnetic source wave. A radar controller is electrically connected to the power radar transmitter and receives a reflected harmonic wave. After receiving the electromagnetic source wave, the RF energy harvesting apparatus generates and emits the reflected harmonic wave. After the radar controller receives the reflected harmonic wave, the radar controller determines a polarization angle of a reflection signal from the RF energy harvesting apparatus, and the radar controller adjusts the polarization angle of the antenna of the power radar transmitter to be within a predetermined range around the polarization angle of the reflected harmonic signal from the RF energy harvesting apparatus for an optimal received power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2020
    Assignees: DELTA ELECTRONICS, INC., NATIONAL CHENG KUNG UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Tzuen-Hsi Huang, Sheng-Fan Yang, Chun-Cheng Chen, Pei-Jung Chung, Fang-Ming Wu
  • Patent number: 9859797
    Abstract: Synchronous rectifier circuit topologies for a wireless power receiver receiving a supply of power from a wireless transmitter are disclosed. The synchronous rectifier circuit topologies include a half-bridge diode-FET transistor rectifier for rectifying the wireless power into power including a DC waveform, using a control scheme that may be provided by a delay-locked loop clock, or phase shifters, or wavelength links to control conduction of FET transistors in the synchronous rectifier circuit topology, and maintaining a constant switching frequency to have the diodes, coupled to FET transistors, to allow current to flow through each one respectively at the appropriate timing, focusing on high conduction times. The synchronous rectifier circuit topologies may enable power transfer of high-frequency signals at enhanced efficiency due to significant reduction of forward voltage drop and lossless switching.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: Energous Corporation
    Inventor: Michael Leabman
  • Patent number: 8767871
    Abstract: An antenna tuner is placed between a Power Amplifier (PA) and an antenna. The antenna tuner includes programmable components that can be tuned in order to effect an impedance translation between the antenna and the PA output. In an embodiment, the antenna tuner is adapted dynamically based on changes in the impedance of the antenna. In another embodiment, the antenna tuner is controlled based on measurement of the voltage reflection coefficient S11.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2014
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Bongseok Park, William Fujimoto, Sriraman Dakshinamurthy, Robert Lorenz
  • Patent number: 8659440
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices for detecting when an end-device is physically disconnected from a commodity delivery network. One method includes determining an impedance of a power input of the end-device after the end-device experiences a power interruption, generating a message including data regarding the impedance, transmitting the message to a computer-implemented back office over at least one communication network, and automatically setting a status of the end-device to a physically-disconnected status when the data regarding the impedance indicates the impedance is greater than a threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2014
    Assignee: Silver Spring Networks, Inc.
    Inventors: Alexander Gostrer, Winston Lew
  • Patent number: 8228194
    Abstract: An energy harvesting circuit has an active automatic tuning circuit to search for broadcast frequencies in a band of interest and selecting only those broadcast signals received with sufficient RF strength to be used in energy harvesting. This circuit would provide power storage devices with a circuit that has a means to select the ambient RF that can maximize or enhance the performance of an RFID circuit by increasing the amount of energy for harvesting. This automatic tuning would enable a power storage devices charger circuit to move from location to location without manual tuning of the circuit and increase the effective range of an RFID circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2012
    Assignee: University of Pittsburgh - Of the Commonwealth System of Higher Education
    Inventors: Marlin H. Mickle, Christopher C. Capelli, Harold Swift
  • Patent number: 8223008
    Abstract: Provided are a device and method for detecting a wiretapping device using a power line and nullifying the wiretapping device. More particularly, a device and method for preventing wiretapping, which sense a wiretapping signal from a power line and transmit a noise signal to the power line, are provided. The device for preventing wiretapping includes: a signal detector for receiving signals from a power line and filtering the received signals in at least one frequency band; a controller for receiving the filtered signal from the signal detector and determining whether a wiretapping signal exists; and a noise signal output unit for transmitting a noise signal to the power line according to whether or not the wiretapping signal exists. The device can detect wiretapping and simultaneously nullify the function of the wiretapping device by detecting a wiretapping signal from a power line and transmitting a noise signal having a frequency corresponding to a frequency band of the wiretapping signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2012
    Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
    Inventors: Kyung Hoon Lee, In Ho Hwang, Sea Hoon Ju, Seung Kab Ryu, Jin Chun Wang
  • Patent number: 7999668
    Abstract: A system is provided for implementing a series interlock loop. An example of the interlock system includes a series interlock loop, a data table, and a control module. The series interlock loop has an overall electrical characteristic. The series interlock loop includes first and second safety interlocks electrically coupled in series. Each interlock includes a switch coupled in parallel with an impedance value. The data table is configured to store values corresponding to the impedance values. The control module is communicatively coupled to the data table and configured to receive an indication of the overall electrical characteristic and to compare the overall electrical characteristic to the values in the data table to thereby identify an open one of the first and second safety interlocks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2011
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: William R. Cawthorne, James E. Tarchinski
  • Patent number: 7956851
    Abstract: An untethered device is configured to inductively couple to a source device. The source device includes a driver circuit configured to generate a varying magnetic field and comprising a drive coil circuit. A phase detector is coupled to the driver circuit and configured to detect a phase of an input impedance of the driver circuit in response to the source device inductively coupling with the resonant circuit of the untethered device. A controller is coupled to the phase detector and the driver circuit, and is configured to adjust a frequency of a source voltage applied to the driver circuit in response to an output signal of the phase detector. The controller adjusts the source voltage frequency so that the phase of the input impedance as indicated by the output signal of the phase detector is substantially zero.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2011
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventor: Martin J. Vos
  • Patent number: 7907057
    Abstract: An electric circuit for a communication device (200) for communicating with a further communication device (500), the electric circuit comprising an inductive antenna element (101) adapted for inductively communicating with the further communication device (500), a capacitive antenna element (102) adapted for capacitively communicating with the further communication device (500), and a common matching circuit (105) adapted to match impedances of the inductive antenna element (101) and of the capacitive antenna element (102).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2011
    Assignee: NXP B.V.
    Inventors: Gerald Schaffler, Erich Merlin
  • Patent number: 7868876
    Abstract: An untethered device is configured to inductively couple to a source device. The source device includes a driver circuit configured to generate a varying magnetic field and comprising a drive coil circuit. A phase detector is coupled to the driver circuit and configured to detect a phase of an input impedance of the driver circuit in response to the source device inductively coupling with the resonant circuit of the untethered device. A controller is coupled to the phase detector and the driver circuit, and is configured to adjust a frequency of a source voltage applied to the driver circuit in response to an output signal of the phase detector. The controller adjusts the source voltage frequency so that the phase of the input impedance as indicated by the output signal of the phase detector is substantially zero.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2011
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventor: Martin J. Vos
  • Patent number: 7724650
    Abstract: Wired data telecommunications networks can make advantageous use of a communications capability between and among more than two network devices. Such capabilities may be utilized in providing redundancy of data and/or inline power capabilities from a pair of network devices to a third network device receiving the redundant capability. Impedance modulated communications are provided in a wired data telecommunications network among at least a first, second and third network device coupled together via a Y device. The Y device couples the three network devices (higher order Y devices could couple more than three devices) allowing monitoring of communications and inline power provision so that one of the network devices may act in response to monitored conditions by communicating via impedance modulated communications with one or both of the other network devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2010
    Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Roger A. Karam
  • Patent number: 7593824
    Abstract: A PCB comprising two or more components, such as ICs, comprises drivers and receivers that facilitate communication of signals between the components. Signal terminations, such as series and AC terminations, are used to increase the integrity of signals transmitted between components. Advantageously, values of the terminations are determined using a computerized method comprising sequential adjustment of on-chip programmable resistors and/or capacitors on chips coupled to the PCB. Thus, the effect of various values of on-chip termination resistors and/or capacitors on signal integrity is actually tested on the PCB, rather than simulating using software, for example, in order to determine optimal termination values. Characteristics of on-chip programmable resistors and/or capacitors may be adjusted by writing values into registers of the corresponding chips.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2009
    Assignee: Plant Equipment, Inc.
    Inventor: Jane He
  • Patent number: 7167089
    Abstract: A burglar alarm includes a main unit provided with a power supply voltage regulator circuit, a CPU circuit, an FET driving circuit, and an RLC oscillation circuit to convert digital code signals into analog signals, which are amplified and then carried via a power cord; and a decoding horn provided with a power supply voltage regulator circuit, a reference voltage circuit, an RLC oscillation circuit, a comparison circuit, a CPU circuit, and a horn voice driving circuit to decode and compare a received burglar-alarming signal and drive a horn to make vocal and sounding warnings. The burglar alarm is controlled via different frequencies that represent codes 1 and 0, or a base frequency and different pulse widths representing codes 1 and 0, so that the signals are carriable via the power cord without interference from noise on the power word.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2007
    Inventor: Tse-Hsing Chen
  • Patent number: 7167090
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for performing far-field power extraction are presented. The method includes receiving an electromagnetic radiation signal, rectifying the signal to produce a direct current (D.C.) voltage and providing the D.C. voltage to a circuit. A far-field power extraction circuit includes an antenna for receiving an electromagnetic radiation signal, a rectifier for rectifying the electromagnetic radiation signal. The circuit may further include a charge pump for amplifying the rectified voltage, an impedance matching network for coupling the antenna to the rectifier and a feedback tuning circuit for optimizing performance of the extraction circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2007
    Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Soumyajit Mandal, Rahul Sarpeshkar
  • Patent number: 7164344
    Abstract: A non-contact IC card reading/writing apparatus having a superior reception characteristic includes a loop antenna, a resonant circuit unit, a wireless transmitting unit, and a wireless receiving unit. The resonant circuit unit, the wireless transmitting unit, and the wireless receiving unit are coupled to each other via any one of a directional coupler, a circulator, and an isolator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2007
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Futoshi Deguchi, Hiroshi Yoshinaga, Akihiko Hirata, Masahiko Tanaka
  • Patent number: 7075418
    Abstract: A multiband antenna system includes a multiband antenna adapted to receive signals in a given frequency range, such as CB, and a trap to isolate signals in the tire pressure monitoring frequency ranges so that when it is mounted to the exterior of a vehicle in conventional manner, it will optimally receive signals sent from tire pressure monitors in the wheels. The system includes a multiplexer circuit that connects to tire pressure monitoring apparatus and isolates the tire pressure monitoring frequencies from CB frequencies. The antenna and multiplexer circuits are capable of simultaneously handling other frequencies as well such as AM/FM.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2006
    Assignee: R.A. Miller Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: Paul E. Miller