Patents by Inventor Brian A. Floyd

Brian A. Floyd has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 7629852
    Abstract: Circuits and methods are provided for building integrated transformer-coupled amplifiers with on-chip transformers that are designed to resonate or otherwise tune parasitic capacitances to achieve frequency tuning of amplifiers at millimeter wave operating frequencies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2009
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Brian A. Floyd, David Goren, Ullrich R. Pfeiffer, Scott Kevin Reynolds
  • Publication number: 20090256752
    Abstract: A radio-frequency integrated circuit chip package has N integrated aperture-coupled patch antennas, N being at least two, and includes N generally planar patches, and at least one generally planar ground plane spaced inwardly from the N generally planar patches and substantially parallel thereto. The ground plane is formed with at least N coupling aperture slots therein, and the slots are substantially opposed to the patches. N feed lines are spaced inwardly from the ground plane and substantially parallel thereto, and at least one radio frequency chip is spaced inwardly from the feed lines and coupled to the feed lines and the ground plane. A first substrate layer is spaced inwardly from the feed lines, and is formed with a chip-receiving cavity, with the chip located in the chip-receiving cavity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 14, 2008
    Publication date: October 15, 2009
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Johannes A.G. Akkermans, Brian A. Floyd, Duixian Liu
  • Patent number: 7566952
    Abstract: Shielded circuit pad is provided where the parasitic capacitance is tuned out by the inclusion of a shunt transmission line stub which reduces the substrate induced loss in millimeter-wave applications. The circuit pad is located on the substrate, with a shield located beneath the circuit pad, and the shunt transmission line stub attached to the circuit pad. Accordingly, controlled impedance is obtained for millimeter-wave applications. The spacing between the circuit pad and the shield may then be minimized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2009
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Brian A. Floyd, Ullrich R. Pfeiffer, Scott K. Reynods
  • Patent number: 7486145
    Abstract: Circuits and methods are provided for implementing programmable sub-integer N frequency dividers for use in, e.g., frequency synthesizer applications, providing glitch free outputs signals with minimal fractional spurs. Phase-rotating sub-integer N frequency dividers are programmable to provide multi-modulus division with a wide range of arbitrary sub-integer division ratios.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2009
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Brian A. Floyd, Sergey V. Rylov
  • Publication number: 20080297261
    Abstract: Circuits and methods are provided for building integrated transformer-coupled amplifiers with on-chip transformers that are designed to resonate or otherwise tune parasitic capacitances to achieve frequency tuning of amplifiers at millimeter wave operating frequencies.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 14, 2008
    Publication date: December 4, 2008
    Inventors: Brian A. Floyd, David Goren, Ullrich R. Pfeiffer, Scott Kevin Reynolds
  • Patent number: 7459981
    Abstract: Circuits and methods are provided for building integrated transformer-coupled amplifiers with on-chip transformers that are designed to resonate or otherwise tune parasitic capacitances to achieve frequency tuning of amplifiers at millimeter wave operating frequencies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2008
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Brian A. Floyd, David Goren, Ullrich R. Pfeiffer, Scott Kevin Reynolds
  • Publication number: 20080164917
    Abstract: Circuits and methods are provided for implementing programmable sub-integer N frequency dividers for use in, e.g., frequency synthesizer applications, providing glitch free outputs signals with minimal fractional spurs. Phase-rotating sub-integer N frequency dividers are programmable to provide multi-modulus division with a wide range of arbitrary sub-integer division ratios.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 10, 2007
    Publication date: July 10, 2008
    Inventors: Brian A. Floyd, Sergey V. Rylov
  • Patent number: 7315212
    Abstract: Circuits and methods are provided for building integrated transformer-coupled amplifiers with on-chip transformers that are designed to resonate or otherwise tune parasitic capacitances to achieve frequency tuning of amplifiers at millimeter wave operating frequencies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2008
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Brian A. Floyd, David Goren, Ullrich R. Pfeiffer, Scott Kevin Reynolds
  • Patent number: 7265644
    Abstract: An ultra-broadband balun is provided. The balun comprises: a first unbalanced transmission line comprising a first ground trace and a signal trace; and a balanced transmission line comprising a first and second signal trace, wherein the first signal trace of the balanced transmission line is connected to the first ground trace of the first unbalanced transmission line and the second signal trace of the balanced transmission line is connected to the signal trace of the first unbalanced transmission line, wherein a first capacitor is disposed in series with one of the first ground trace of the first unbalanced transmission line and the first signal trace of the balanced transmission line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2007
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Brian A. Floyd, Thomas M. Zwick
  • Patent number: 7210282
    Abstract: A case-burning rocket booster includes a combustible case containing a solid rocket fuel, a combustion chamber adjustably coupled to the case for burning the case and the solid rocket fuel, a nozzle connected to the combustion chamber for expelling the burned case and fuel to generate thrust, and a drive system for pulling the combustion chamber and nozzle up the case as the case and fuel burn. A hybrid version of the case-burning rocket also includes an oxidizer supply system for supplying varying amounts of oxidizer to the combustion chamber to vary the thrust generated by burning the case and the fuel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2007
    Inventor: Brian A. Floyd
  • Patent number: 7199658
    Abstract: Circuits and methods are provided for implementing highly efficient switch-mode power amplifiers using BJTs (bipolar junction transistors) as active switching devices at millimeter-wave frequencies. More specifically, circuits and methods are provided for driving power amplifiers with BJT switching devices to achieve highly efficient switch-mode (e.g., Class E) operation at millimeter wave frequencies (e.g., 60 GHz).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2007
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Brian A. Floyd, Alberto Valdes Garcia, Ullrich R. Pfeiffer, Scott Kevin Reynolds
  • Patent number: 7187251
    Abstract: A direct current (DC) isolated phase inverter and a ring hybrid coupler including the DC isolated phase inverter is provided. The ring hybrid coupler including the DC isolated phase inverter comprising: a first, second, third and fourth transmission line arm; a first port connected to the first arm, second port connected to the second arm, third port connected to the third arm and fourth port connected to the fourth arm; and a DC phase inverter inserted within one of the first, second, third and fourth arms, wherein the DC phase inverter comprises: a transmission line comprising a plurality of signal and ground traces, wherein the plurality of signal and ground traces are interchanged; and a plurality of capacitors disposed in series with the ground traces, wherein the plurality of capacitors isolate the DC phase inverter from a device connected to the transmission line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2007
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Mohan K. Chirala, Brian A. Floyd, Thomas M. Zwick
  • Patent number: 6782693
    Abstract: A case-burning rocket booster includes a combustible case containing a solid rocket fuel, a combustion chamber adjustably coupled to the case for burning the case and the solid rocket fuel, a nozzle connected to the combustion chamber for expelling the burned case and fuel to generate thrust, and a drive system for pulling the combustion chamber and nozzle up the case as the case and fuel burn. A hybrid version of the case-burning rocket also includes an oxygen supply system for supplying varying amounts of oxygen to the combustion chamber to vary the thrust generated by burning the case and the fuel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2004
    Inventor: Brian A. Floyd
  • Patent number: 4890536
    Abstract: Missile support cables are passed through cable fitter support blocks, which are ridgidly affixed to the silo, and are swaged to heavy blocks resting upon the support blocks via a canister having ductile mesh therein. Upon a downblast, the cables are maintained in tension due to the low downward acceleration of the heavy blocks, while the support blocks are rapidly downwardly accelerated and upon rebound, smash into the energy absorbing canister which prevents the failure of the cables by controlling excess tension therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 1988
    Date of Patent: January 2, 1990
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventor: Brian A. Floyd