Patents Examined by Ricardo Magallanes
  • Patent number: 9337528
    Abstract: A mobile wireless communications device may include a portable housing including electrically conductive sections defining a perimeter of the portable housing and configured to function as an antenna. One of the electrically conductive sections may include a base, a first electrically conductive arm extending from the base, and a second electrically conductive arm having a proximal portion parallel and spaced apart from the first electrically conductive arm. A printed circuit board (PCB) may be carried by the portable housing. The mobile wireless communications device may also include wireless transceiver circuitry carried by the PCB and coupled to the antenna.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2016
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventor: Robert Ralph Bryan Hammond
  • Patent number: 9331391
    Abstract: A mobile device includes a substrate, a ground element, and a radiation branch. The ground element includes a ground branch, wherein an edge of the ground element has a notch extending into an interior of the ground element so as to form a slot region, and the ground branch partially surrounds the slot region. The radiation branch is substantially inside the slot region, and is coupled to the ground branch of the ground element. The ground branch and the radiation branch form an antenna structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2016
    Assignee: HTC Corporation
    Inventors: Chih-Ling Chien, Chien-Hsin Huang, Hsiao-Wei Wu, Wen-Hsiung Shih
  • Patent number: 9331379
    Abstract: A mobile device includes a substrate, a ground element, and a radiation branch. The ground element includes a ground branch, wherein an edge of the ground element has a notch extending into the interior of the ground element so as to form a slot region, and the ground branch partially surrounds the slot region. The radiation branch is substantially inside the slot region, and is coupled to the ground branch of the ground element. The ground branch and the radiation branch form an antenna structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2016
    Assignee: HTC Corporation
    Inventors: Chien-Pin Chiu, Hsiao-Wei Wu, Tiao-Hsing Tsai, Ying-Chih Wang
  • Patent number: 9287633
    Abstract: A dual frequency coupling feed antenna includes a substrate. There are an upper dipole radiative conductor, a lower dipole radiative conductor, a ground line and a ground reflective conductor disposed on the second surface of the substrate and the two dipole radiative conductors are not electrically connected to each other. The first surface of the substrate has a coupling conductor, a signal line and a feed-matching conductor. The coupling conductor extends parallel to the upper dipole radiative conductor. The ground reflective conductor is located at a side-edge of the dipole radiative conductor and the feed-matching conductor is located on the path of the signal line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2016
    Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
    Inventor: Wen-Jen Tseng
  • Patent number: 9279845
    Abstract: A method for determining at least one characteristic of an antenna requiring: a) positioning an antenna in a space surrounded by a waveguide; b) feeding an electric excitation signal (utx(t)) into a feed connection of the waveguide; c) receiving the electric response signal (urx(t)) emitted by the antenna resulting from the excitation signal (utx(t)); d) determining at least one characteristic of the antenna from a portion of the response signal (urx(t)) and a corresponding portion of the excitation signal (utx(t)), where the portion of the response signal (urx(t)) is evaluated in the time domain and satisfies the following conditions: (i) only one or more waves of the electromagnetic field caused by the excitation signal (utx(t)) and running from the feed connection towards the antenna exist at the location of the antenna; and (ii) the electromagnetic field at the location of the antenna is a TEM field.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignee: Rosenberger Hochfrequenztechnik GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Gunnar Armbrecht, Holger Thye, Sebastian Sczyslo, Sven Dortmund
  • Patent number: 9249606
    Abstract: An antenna unit incorporated into a door handle of a vehicle includes: an unlock sensor plate (first detection electrode) of a capacitive sensor configured to detect a driver's approaching or touching the door handle; and an antenna for wireless communications. The unlock sensor plate has an antenna fixing part for positioning and fixing the antenna. The antenna fixed on the antenna fixing part and the unlock sensor plate are molded into a unit with a molded resin. The unlock sensor plate has a circuit board fixing part for positioning and fixing a circuit board including a detection circuit of the capacitive sensor mounted thereon. An electrode fixing part for positioning and fixing a lock sensor plate (a second detection electrode) of the capacitive sensor is provided on an opposite surface of the circuit board from a surface on which the unlock sensor plate is arranged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignee: U-SHIN LTD.
    Inventor: Atsushi Naka
  • Patent number: 9252500
    Abstract: An antenna for transmitting and/or receiving-electromagnetic waves has a flat ground plane, and an array of radiating and/or receiving elements. The radiating and/or receiving element comprises a planar conductor which is arranged in parallel to the ground plane. An L-shaped slot is arranged in the planar conductor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignee: ORBAN MICROWAVE PRODUCTS (OMP), N.V.
    Inventors: Daniel Orban, Gerald Moernaut
  • Patent number: 9244105
    Abstract: A portable near-field measurement system for mapping radio frequency characteristics spherically about a test object is presented. The system includes an anechoic chamber, a rotatable annular platter, a rotatable platter, a stationary platform, and frequency converters. The chamber is an enclosure with an absorber material fastened to the interior thereof. The annular platter is disposed horizontally within the chamber and fastened to an azimuth positioner that rotates the annular platter about an azimuth rotation axis. The rotatable platter is disposed vertically within the chamber and rotatable about an elevation rotation axis via an elevation positioner. Azimuth and elevation axes intersect perpendicularly. A gantry arm with probe is fastened to and extends from the rotatable platter. A vertical arm is fastened between the annular platter and elevation positioner. Platters have front and back surfaces. A stationary platform is centered within the annular platter and attachable to a test column.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2016
    Assignee: ORBIT Advanced Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: John F. Aubin, Per Olav Iversen, Edmund Lee, Brian C. Jackson, Russell Jay Soerens, Edward Szpindor, Vincent Keenan
  • Patent number: 9196964
    Abstract: A hybrid antenna including a piezoelectric device and an RF radiator. The hybrid antenna is capable of providing both RF and piezoelectric device functionality, e.g., radio frequency transmission/reception capabilities for radio frequency devices as well as sound-producing and/or energy-scavenging functionality via the piezoelectric device. The piezoelectric device may be in conductive contact with the RF radiator or may not be in conductive contact with the RF radiator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2015
    Assignee: Fitbit, Inc.
    Inventor: William B. Baringer
  • Patent number: 9190732
    Abstract: A chip antenna is mounted on a mother substrate including a feed line. In a representative embodiment, the chip antenna includes a laminated body including plural insulating layers, a radiating conductor element, a parasitic conductor element, a coupling adjusting conductor plate, and a LGA. The radiating conductor element is connected to the feed line via a first flat electrode pad of the LGA. On the other hand, the coupling adjusting conductor plate is provided between the radiating conductor element and the parasitic conductor element, and both end sides of the coupling adjusting conductor plate are connected to second and third flat electrode pads of the LGA. Another representative embodiment does not include a coupling adjusting conductor plate in the laminated body and includes an LGA that may or may not include second and third flat electrode pads.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2015
    Assignee: Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hirotaka Fujii, Eiichi Kobayashi, Kaoru Sudo, Toshiro Hiratsuka
  • Patent number: 9166302
    Abstract: Arrangement of resonators in an aperiodic configurations are described, which can be used for electromagnetic cloaking of objects. The overall assembly of resonators, as structures, do not all repeat periodically and at least some of the resonators are spaced such that their phase centers are separated by more than a wavelength. The arrangements can include resonators of several different sizes and/or geometries arranged so that each size or geometry corresponds to a moderate or high “Q” response that resonates within a specific frequency range, and that arrangement within that specific grouping of akin elements is periodic in the overall structure. The relative spacing and arrangement of groupings can be defined by self similarity and origin symmetry. Fractal based scatters are described. Further described are bondary condition layer structures that can activate and deactive cloaking/lensing structures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2015
    Assignee: Fractal Antenna Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Nathan Cohen, Obinna Okoro, Phillip Salkind
  • Patent number: 9153864
    Abstract: A vehicle pole antenna fixed to an antenna support base includes: a rod 10, a helical antenna element 20, a joint 30, and a mast cover 40. The rod 10 has flexibility and insulation property and has a concave portion 11 at its base end surface. The helical antenna element 20 has a coated wire wound around the rod 10. A winding density of the helical antenna element 10 adjacent to a bending start point of the rod is lower than that at the other portions. The joint 30 has a convex portion 31 to be fitted to the concave portion 11 formed at the base end surface of the rod 10. The joint 30 is electrically connected with the helical antenna element 20 and connected to the antenna support base.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2015
    Assignee: HARADA INDUSTRY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Toshihiro Iwata, Yuya Fukasawa, Toshiro Yokoyama
  • Patent number: 9136605
    Abstract: An antenna device includes antennas, each of which includes antenna elements arranged in a longitudinal direction, arranged side by side in a transverse direction intersecting the longitudinal direction, wherein an interval between the antennas arranged side by side in the transverse direction is approximately 2? where ? is a free space wavelength corresponding to an operating frequency, and each of the antenna elements includes a horn formed therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2015
    Assignee: Honda Elesys Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Akira Abe
  • Patent number: 9112270
    Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for wireless communications. A planar antenna element is disposed on a surface of a substrate. The planar antenna element comprises an electrically conductive material. The substrate comprises a dielectric material. The planar antenna element may be arranged in a planar antenna array as a feed for a reflector antenna or as an aperture array. The planar antenna element may comprise a slot patch antenna element with a slot in the electrically conductive material of the planar antenna element circumscribing the planar antenna element. The slot exposes the dielectric material of the substrate. A ground plane may be disposed on the surface of the substrate. The ground plane comprises an electrically conductive material. The slot may be disposed between the ground plane and the patch antenna element. The substrate may include electronic components for beam steering, upconversion, downconversion, amplification, or other functions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2015
    Assignee: Brigham Young Univeristy
    Inventors: Karl F. Warnick, Zhenchao Yang
  • Patent number: 9112262
    Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for wireless communications. A planar antenna element is disposed on a surface of a substrate. The planar antenna element comprises an electrically conductive material and has a circular polarization. The substrate comprises a dielectric material. The planar antenna element may be arranged in a planar antenna array as a feed for a reflector antenna or as an aperture array. The planar antenna element may comprise a slot patch antenna element with a slot in the electrically conductive material of the planar antenna element circumscribing the planar antenna element. The slot exposes the dielectric material of the substrate. A ground plane may be disposed on the surface of the substrate. The ground plane comprises an electrically conductive material. The slot may be disposed between the ground plane and the patch antenna element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2015
    Assignee: Brigham Young University
    Inventors: Karl F Warnick, Zhenchao Yang
  • Patent number: 9105980
    Abstract: A radio communication apparatus (100) includes an antenna device (40) that faces at least a part of a conductor plate of a conductor surface (second casing) or a conductor layer of an interconnect substrate (30); and a plurality of conductor components (36) that are located between the antenna device (40) and the conductor surface and are arranged in a repetitive manner so as to intersect in a surface-normal direction of the conductor surface. The radio communication apparatus is, for example, a slide opening and closing type cellular phone and includes a first casing (10), a second casing (20), and a flexible interconnect substrate (30). The first casing (10) and the second casing (20) are slid relatively so that the radio communication apparatus (100) is switched between first and second states. In the first state, the interconnect substrate (30) is folded. The interconnect substrate (30) is extended further in the second state than in the first state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2015
    Assignee: LENOVO INNOVATIONS LIMITED (HONG KONG)
    Inventors: Masanori Sakurai, Naoki Kobayashi, Noriaki Ando, Hiroshi Toyao, Masaharu Imazato
  • Patent number: 9077083
    Abstract: A dual polarized array antenna is disclosed. The array antenna includes a plurality of electrically conductive elements or posts, arranged in rows and columns. Multiple parallel slots are formed that intersect different rows and columns of electrically conductive elements. The slots receive feed elements that include a linear array of feed points. The feed points within each linear array alternate between a feed point associated with a first polarization and a feed point associated with a second polarization.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2015
    Assignee: BALL AEROSPACE & TECHNOLOGIES CORP.
    Inventors: Paul J. Freeman, Vlad Munteanu, Scott P. Bates, Thomas Caly, Travis Horne
  • Patent number: 9065176
    Abstract: The invention is a class of planar unidirectional traveling-wave (TW) antenna comprising a planar four-arm TW radiator ensemble, such as a 4-arm spiral, which is fed medially with a twin-lead feed connected with only a pair of opposite arms of the TW radiator, with the other two arms parasitically excited. The use of a mode suppressor enhances the purity of single-mode TW propagation and radiation. The twin-lead feed is connected with the balanced side of a balun, and is impedance matched with the TW radiator on one side and the balun on the other side. This simple feed structure using a single balun is generally smaller and much simpler, and thus much less costly than the conventional feed for a 4-arm spiral, which is a complex one-to-four power divider that contains hybrids, power dividers, couplers, matrices, etc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2015
    Assignee: WANG-ELECTRO-OPTO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Johnson J. H. Wang
  • Patent number: 9065891
    Abstract: A radio communication apparatus includes: a first casing; a second casing; a connection section that connects the first and second casings to each other to be movable; and an antenna device that operates at a predetermined communication frequency. In the radio communication apparatus, first and second states are switched between by relatively moving the first and second casings. The first state is a state in which the first and second casings are opened or closed with respect to one another, and a first conductor (122) installed from the connection section to the first casing and a second conductor (240) installed from the connection section to the second casing are separated and faced each other. In the first state, the first conductor (122) and the second conductor (240) are electrically connected to each other at the communication frequency. The second state is a state in which the first and second casings are closed or opened with respect to one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2015
    Assignee: Lenovo Innovations Limited
    Inventors: Masanori Sakurai, Naoki Kobayashi, Noriaki Ando, Hiroshi Toyao, Masaharu Imazato
  • Patent number: 9041611
    Abstract: An automatic antenna impedance matching method for a radiofrequency transmission circuit. An impedance matching network is inserted between an amplifier and an antenna. The output current and voltage of the amplifier and their phase difference are measured by a variable measurement impedance, and the complex load impedance of the amplifier is deduced from this; the impedance of the antenna is calculated as a function of this complex impedance and as a function of the known current values of the impedances of the matching network. Starting from the value found for the impedance of the antenna, new values of the matching network are calculated that allow the load to be matched to the nominal impedance of the amplifier. The measurement impedance has a value controllable by the calculation processor according to the application and notably as a function of the operating frequency and of the nominal impedance of the amplifier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2015
    Assignee: Commissariat A L'Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives
    Inventors: Francis Chan Wai Po, Emeric De Foucauld