Patents Examined by Justin P. Bettendorf
  • Patent number: 6307452
    Abstract: A micro electromechanical switch is formed on a substrate using a microplatform structure suspended on a spring suspension. The spring suspension is attached on one end to an anchor structure and extends in a substantially octagonal direction over a signal line. The microplatform has a shorting bar positioned facing a gap in the signal line and an electrical corset is formed on the signal fine to form a capacitor structure which is electrostatically attractable toward a bottom electrode upon application of a selected voltage. The switch functions from DC to at least 50 GHz with an electrical isolation of 35 dB and an insertion loss of 0.5 dB at 20 GHz. The RF switch has applications in telecommunications including wireless communications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2001
    Assignee: Motorola, Inc.
    Inventor: Xi-Qing Sun
  • Patent number: 6307442
    Abstract: A tunable electronic filter circuit is provided including an input terminal and an output terminal connected to the input terminal with a node therebetween. An inductor, a variable capacitor, and a variable resistor are connected between the node and ground. Coupled to the variable capacitor and the variable resistor is a feedback control circuit. The feedback control circuit is operable to tune the variable capacitor in order to set a predetermined frequency, or center frequency, of the electronic filter circuit. The feedback control circuit is further operable to tune the variable resistor in order to calibrate a quality factor of the electronic filter circuit. In use when an input signal is applied to the input terminal, the electronic filter circuit passes an output signal to the output terminal. Such output signal includes components of the input signal within a predetermined frequency bandwidth set by the predetermined frequency and filters out other components of the input signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2001
    Assignee: Maxim Integrated Products
    Inventors: Robert G. Meyer, Madhu Avasarala
  • Patent number: 6304155
    Abstract: An apparatus for doubling the amount of power that can be safely applied to a circulator-based isolator, which is made up of an input hybrid which receives an RF signal and outputs two divided RF signals, a Y-junction circulator that receives one of the divided RF signals at one of the circulator ports and outputs it at another circulator port, an output hybrid which receives the two divided RF signals, combines them, and sends them on, the output hybrid simultaneously receiving a returned signal, dividing it, and outputting two divided returned signals, one divided returned signal going to the circulator and the other divided returned signal going directly to the input hybrid, a phase retarding circuit which takes the half of the divided returned signal that went back to the circulator and retards its phase by 180 degrees and sends it back to the circulator, where it goes to the input hybrid as well, to be recombined with the other half of the returned signal and attenuated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2001
    Assignee: Thomcast Communications, Inc.
    Inventor: Henry J. Fries
  • Patent number: 6294965
    Abstract: A surface mount balun includes a first stripline segment having a first and second end, a first balanced port connected to the first end, and a second balanced port connected to the second end, a second stripline segment overlapping and coupled to the first stripline segment, and having a third end adjacent to the first end of the first stripline segment and a fourth end disposed approximately adjacent to the center of the first stripline segment, a third stripline segment overlapping and coupled to the first stripline segment, and having a fifth end adjacent to the second end of the first stripline segment and a sixth end disposed approximately adjacent to the center of the first stripline segment, and a third, unbalanced port connected to the sixth end of the third stripline segment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2001
    Assignee: Anaren Microwave, Inc.
    Inventors: Jeffrey Craig Merrill, Hans Peter Ostergaard
  • Patent number: 6292070
    Abstract: A balun includes first and second symmetrical couplers, preferably first and second backward wave couplers connected to form a balun having an unbalanced port and a balanced port. More specifically, a balun in accordance wit this invention includes first and second backward wave symmetrical couplers each having an input port, a direct port, coupled port, and an isolate port in which the input port of a first coupler is connected to an input port of the second coupler, and the isolated port of the first coupler and the direct port of the second coupler are connected to the balanced ports of the balun respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2001
    Assignee: Anaren Microwave, Inc.
    Inventor: Jeffrey Craig Merrill
  • Patent number: 6292068
    Abstract: An E-plane waveguide-circulator has a height-reducing branching region, a ferrite body located in the branching region so that a magnetic field extends through the ferrite body, the ferrite body being formed as a bar which extends through a total height of the branching region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2001
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventor: Siegbert Martin
  • Patent number: 6292069
    Abstract: A loosely coupled rotary transformer includes a resonant circuit, such as a resonating capacitor connected to a power MOS transistor, coupled across the primary coil of the transformer. The resonant circuit is connected and disconnected from the transformer during a power transfer mode and a data transfer mode, respectively. During the power transfer mode, stored energy in the leakage inductance of the primary coil is used for power coupling, via the resonant circuit, instead of being dissipated as heat. The resonant circuit is disconnected from the rotary transformer during the data transfer mode to maximize bandwidth for two-way data transfer between the primary and secondary sides of the transformer. Including the resonant circuit in the loosely coupled transformer optimizes data and power transfer without requiring the use of high-cost, high-efficiency magnetic structures in the core of the transformer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2001
    Assignee: Eaton Corporation
    Inventors: Paul A. Michaels, Irvin B. Rea
  • Patent number: 6285265
    Abstract: An electric noise absorber for preventing looseness of magnetic body parts in a closed housing, without increasing the number of parts or decreasing the strength of the housing. The housing comprises a pair of case halves which house ferrite core halves, respectively, and are hinged to each other. The bottom wall of each case half is formed with a curved shape convex toward the space housing the ferrite core half. When the case halves are closed with the ferrite cores therein, the ferrite cores press each other toward respective bottom walls and resiliently deform the walls. The resilience of the deformed bottom walls urges abutting surfaces of the ferrite cores into close contact.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2001
    Assignee: Kitagawa Industries Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Katsuyuki Morita, Hideharu Kawai
  • Patent number: 6281767
    Abstract: The filter for eliminating a carrier signal from a modulating signal generated by a circuit supplying a load (Z) comprises a filtering circuit (L, C; L′, C′) and a cancellation network (Lx, Cx, V2; Lx, Cx, Lx′, Cx′) which, when the load is connected to said filter, subtracts from the load a current equal to the residual carrier signal passing through said filtering circuit (L, C; L′, C′).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2001
    Inventor: Claudio Lastrucci
  • Patent number: 6278341
    Abstract: The present invention provides a filter for achieving a small, low cost filter means for high-power applications. This is achieved by providing a filter comprising a first and a second signal port 101, 102 arranged to pass signals of said first frequency band and at least a first ground plane means. The filter further comprising an elongated conductor, 111, coextending substantially in parallel with the ground plane means providing a first signal path for said frequency band between the first and second ports, at least a first conductive segment, 107, having first radio frequency characteristics and being connected to the signal path at a first interconnection point and where the first characteristics and the position of the first interconnection point being selected such that radio frequencies outside the first frequency band are effectively attenuated in the first signal path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2001
    Assignee: Allgon AB
    Inventor: Leif Lindqvist
  • Patent number: 6278239
    Abstract: A dielectric-wall linear accelerator is improved by a high-voltage, fast rise-time switch that includes a pair of electrodes between which are laminated alternating layers of isolated conductors and insulators. A high voltage is placed between the electrodes sufficient to stress the voltage breakdown of the insulator on command. A light trigger, such as a laser, is focused along at least one line along the edge surface of the laminated alternating layers of isolated conductors and insulators extending between the electrodes. The laser is energized to initiate a surface breakdown by a fluence of photons, thus causing the electrical switch to close very promptly. Such insulators and lasers are incorporated in a dielectric wall linear accelerator with Blumlein modules, and phasing is controlled by adjusting the length of fiber optic cables that carry the laser light to the insulator surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2001
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the United States Department of Energy
    Inventors: George J. Caporaso, Stephen E. Sampayan, Hugh C. Kirbie
  • Patent number: 6278241
    Abstract: A four-nozzle plasma generator comprising two anode electrode chambers and two cathode electrode chambers connected to DC power sources and generating four plasma jets of which the shape and the path are determined by an external magnetic field system. The plasma jets converge on a central area into which the material to be processed is injected, in order to form a single plasma stream. The nozzles are symmetrically arranged on a hood which includes a flat water-cooled diaphragm provided with a central aperture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2001
    Assignee: TePla AG
    Inventors: Vladimir Enguelcht, Pavel Koulik, Evgenia Zorina, Stanislav Begounov, Rudolph Konavko, Anatolii Saitschenko, Mikhail Samsonov, Ioulia Tsvetkova
  • Patent number: 6268700
    Abstract: A vacuum plasma processor for treating a workpiece with an RF plasma has a plasma excitation coil including interior, intermediate and peripheral portions. The interior and peripheral portions have turns connected to each other and arranged so the magnetic flux density coupled to the plasma by each of the interior and peripheral coil portions exceeds the magnetic flux density coupled to the plasma by the intermediate coil portion. The coil includes two electrically parallel, spiral like windings, each with an interior terminal connected to one output terminal of a matching network and an output terminal connected via a capacitor to another output terminal of the matching network. The capacitor values and the lengths of the windings relative to the plasma RF excitation wavelength are such that current flowing in the coil has maximum and minimum standing wave values in the peripheral and interior coil portions, respectively. The coil and workpiece peripheries have similar rectangular dimensions and geometries.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2001
    Assignee: Lam Research Corporation
    Inventors: John Patrick Holland, Alex Demos
  • Patent number: 6268781
    Abstract: A planar waveguide-to-microstrip adapter, a waveguide antenna and a downconverter all formed on a single dielectric substrate. The waveguide-to-stripline adapter is connected to the waveguide antenna and includes a tapered section attached to a microstrip line. The tapered section, which may be linear or may follow some other more complex taper function such as a Chebyshev function, adapts a signal propagating within the waveguide antenna to the microstrip line or vice versa.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2001
    Assignee: Hughes Electronics Corporation
    Inventor: James H. Schaffner
  • Patent number: 6262638
    Abstract: A resonator circuit capable of resonating at a predetermined frequency is provided. The resonator circuit comprises a fixed position coil inductor (62) having a longitudinal axis (92) and a capacitor (88, 82) electrically connected in parallel with each other to form a resonator (60), so that respective first and second ends of the inductor and the capacitor are electrically coupled together at a high-voltage end (64) and a low-voltage end (66) of the resonator (60). A radio frequency (RF) input coupling (70) is coupled directly to the inductor (62) at the low-voltage end (66) of the resonator. A high-voltage electrode (72) is coupled to the high-voltage end (64) of the resonator. A first resonator tuning mechanism is provided for varying the inductance of the inductor, comprising a plunger (90) movable within the coil of the inductor (62) along the longitudinal axis (92). A second resonator tuning mechanism is provided for varying the capacitance of the capacitor (88, 82).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2001
    Assignee: Axcelis Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Ernst F. Scherer
  • Patent number: 6259209
    Abstract: A wafer processing chamber 11 includes a wafer support 12, a dielectyric window 13 and coaxial coils 15 and 16 located outside the dielectric window 13 for inducing a plasma within the chamber. A variety of coil/dielectric windows are described together with protocols for their control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2001
    Assignee: Surface Technology Systems Limited
    Inventors: Jyoti Kiron Bhardwaj, Leslie Michael Lea
  • Patent number: 6252354
    Abstract: In an RF plasma reactor including a reactor chamber with a process gas inlet, a workpiece support, an RF signal applicator facing a portion of the interior of the chamber and an RF signal generator having a controllable RF frequency and an RF signal output coupled to an input of the RF signal applicator, the invention tunes the RF signal generator to the plasma-loaded RF signal applicator by sensing an RF parameter at the RF signal generator or at the RF signal applicator and then adjusting the frequency of the RF signal generator so as to optimize the parameter. The invention further controls the RF signal generator output magnitude (power, current or voltage) by optimizing the value of the same RF parameter or another RF parameter. The reactor preferably includes a fixed tuning circuit between the RF signal generator and the RF signal applicator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2001
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Kenneth Collins, Craig Roderick, Douglas Buchberger, John Trow, Viktor Shel
  • Patent number: 6246300
    Abstract: In a passive network, such as a CC array in the form of a chip, internal conductors of a number of capacitors are led out at a longitudinal side surface of a chip wafer as terminals therefor. Common frame electrodes of the number of capacitors are, in contrast, led out at both frontal side surfaces of the chip wafer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2001
    Assignee: Siemens Matsushita Components GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Klaus-Dieter Aichholzer, Gerald Kainz
  • Patent number: 6239672
    Abstract: A wall mount filter for an xDSL network is provided. Wall mount filter includes a wall mount plate to which a connection port is coupled. The connection port is operable to electrically couple to an electronic device. A low pass filter circuit is coupled to a back surface of the wall mount plate. The low pass filter circuit is in electrical connection with the connection port. The low pass filter circuit is operable to electrically couple to a premises network and is sized to fit within a wall mount outlet. The wall mount plate is operable to be coupled to the wall mount outlet with a front surface facing outward and the low pass filter circuit contained within the wall mount outlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2001
    Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Ronald D. Lutz, Jr., Ronald E. Ham, James Randolph Sisk
  • Patent number: 6239670
    Abstract: A short-stub matching circuit connected to a signal transfer line, includes at least one resistor element having a distributed constant effect which is inserted in a transfer path between the signal transfer line and a grounding conductor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2001
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventor: Naoki Shida