Patents Assigned to Southwest Microwave, Inc.
  • Publication number: 20140342581
    Abstract: A vertical mount PCB coax connector having a unique cavity design. The examples provide a vertical mounted connector with improved electrical performance to transmit a microwave signal to or from a coaxial port to planar printed circuitry. The vertical mount PCB connector includes a threaded housing with a four post flange for attachment to the PCB, a center conductor and a dielectric bead to support the center conductor. The bottom of the flange has a uniquely contoured cavity to provide air space for the electromagnetic field above the planar transmission line. Four posts at the corners of the flange serve as the ground connection from the connector to the substrate ground planes. The open or large cavity under the flange is designed to provide high values of inductive reactance at the high end of the microwave band and typically requires changing the planar geometry to achieve even a narrow band impedance match.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2014
    Publication date: November 20, 2014
    Applicant: Southwest Microwave, Inc.
    Inventors: Clarence L. Clyatt, Robert Griffin, Peter Frank
  • Patent number: 7695322
    Abstract: A subminiature coaxial connector including a matched impedance plug and jack for coupling printed circuit boards, RF modules, coaxial cables, and the like, and minimizing RF or microwave signal losses and/or degradations. The plug and jack each comprises a coaxial structure including an outer tubular conductor and a center contact held in place by a dielectric sleeve within the outer tubular conductor. The geometries of these elements are such that when the plug and jack are fully joined, the elements are coextensive and butt-mated, without steps, gaps, or other discontinuities. By combining structural functions into the electrical conductors, the present invention allows for fewer parts and shorter mating distances than is available in the prior art. Despite the small Size 20 connectors that are achievable with the present invention, low voltage standing wave ratios (VSWR's) can still be observed through 67 GHz, with theoretical cutoff frequencies in excess of 100 GHz.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2010
    Assignee: Southwest Microwave, Inc. Arizona Corporation
    Inventor: Clarence L. Clyatt
  • Patent number: 6677887
    Abstract: An outdoor microwave transceiver intrusion detector that alternately transmits pulses of RF energy at two different frequencies and uses range and direction of travel information derived from the phase of the two Doppler responses to optimize the signal processing and apply range dependent thresholds. The time delay between the onset of the transmitted pulse and the sample of the Doppler response is controlled to provide an accurate range cutoff. The two frequencies are selected so that the difference in phase of the Doppler response at the two frequencies increases from zero to ninety degrees as the target goes from the Transceiver to the maximum range. Digital signal processing is used to measure the difference in phase of the two Doppler responses and translate this information into location of the target. The location information is used to create a number of range bins.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2004
    Assignee: Southwest Microwave, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert Keith Harman
  • Publication number: 20020060639
    Abstract: An outdoor microwave transceiver intrusion detector that alternately transmits pulses of RF energy at two different frequencies and uses range and direction of travel information derived from the phase of the two Doppler responses to optimize the signal processing and apply range dependent thresholds. The time delay between the onset of the transmitted pulse and the sample of the Doppler response is controlled to provide an accurate range cutoff. The two frequencies are selected so that the difference in phase of the Doppler response at the two frequencies increases from zero to ninety degrees as the target goes from the Transceiver to the maximum range. Digital signal processing is used to measure the difference in phase of the two Doppler responses and translate this information into location of the target. The location information is used to create a number of range bins.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 4, 2001
    Publication date: May 23, 2002
    Applicant: Southwest Microwave, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert Keith Harman
  • Publication number: 20020041232
    Abstract: A FM CW cable guided radar for the detection and location of outdoor perimeter intruders. Helically wound outer conductors on coaxial transmit and receive transmission lines provide a slow wave structure to support the propagation of external electromagnetic fields. The two leaky coaxial lines are enclosed in an extruded plastic jacket with the outer conductors in continuous electrical contact along the length of the cable. A chirp frequency modulation provides a continuous target response having a baseband frequency that is proportional to the distance along the length of the cable. After location determination, the amplitude of the response is compared to a location specific threshold to determine if an intruder is present.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2001
    Publication date: April 11, 2002
    Applicant: Southwest Microwave, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert Keith Harman
  • Patent number: 5448222
    Abstract: A transducer cable includes an inner conductor, an outer conductor, and dielectric between the inner conductor and the outer conductor. A longitudinal passage and a sense wire loosely disposed therein extend through the dielectric. Movement, (e.g., intruder-caused vibration) of the transducer cable results in movement of the sense wire relative to the outer conductor, causing corresponding changes in characteristic impedance of the sense wire. A carrier signal transmitted down the inner conductor produces an electromagnetic field that couples energy to the sense wire. The change in characteristic impedance causes reflection of some of the coupled energy, which produces a corresponding signal that is sensed by a receiver circuitry. The receiver circuitry produces a signal indicating the occurrence of the intruder-caused vibration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 1993
    Date of Patent: September 5, 1995
    Assignee: Southwest Microwave, Inc.
    Inventor: R. Keith Harman
  • Patent number: 5446446
    Abstract: A transducer cable includes an inner conductor, an outer conductor, and dielectric between the inner conductor and the outer conductor. A longitudinal passage and a sense wire loosely disposed therein extend through the dielectric. Movement, (e.g., intruder-caused vibration) of the transducer cable results in movement of the sense wire relative to the outer conductor, causing corresponding changes in characteristic impedance of the sense wire. A carrier signal transmitted down the inner conductor produces an electromagnetic field that couples energy to the sense wire. The change in characteristic impedance causes reflection of some of the coupled energy, which produces a corresponding signal that is sensed by a receiver circuitry. The receiver circuitry produces a signal indicating the occurrence of the intruder caused vibration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 1994
    Date of Patent: August 29, 1995
    Assignee: Southwest Microwave, Inc.
    Inventor: R. Keith Harman
  • Patent number: 4358764
    Abstract: An optimum coupling unit for joining adjacent sections of coaxial cable and a coupled radiating antenna includes different diameters of the dielectric material, different diameters of central conductor and different values of the dielectric constant material in order to provide impedance matching at any section of the coupler including the coupled antenna to the impedance of the coaxial cable. The coupling unit is combined with the antenna as an integral unit. The antenna may be a dipole whose elements are coupled to the coupling unit through a parallel plate transmission line. Impedance matches are maintained at each coupling point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 1980
    Date of Patent: November 9, 1982
    Assignee: Southwest Microwave, Inc.
    Inventors: James Cheal, Vincent J. McHenry
  • Patent number: 4328487
    Abstract: An intrusion detection system includes a transmitter of wave energy at one end of a transmission line or coaxial cable, for example, and a receiver connected directly to the transmission line or a cable at the other end together with a series or discrete antennas uniformly spaced along the transmission line and relatively loosely coupled thereto. The coupling between the antennas and the transmission line or coaxial cable is determined to be of an optimum value and in such a system the sensitivity to an intrusion is the same along the length of the coaxial cable or transmission line for the same distance from the transmission line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 1980
    Date of Patent: May 4, 1982
    Assignee: Southwest Microwave, Inc.
    Inventor: James Cheal