Patents by Inventor Christopher Andrew Devries
Christopher Andrew Devries 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).
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Patent number: 9397393Abstract: An antenna, including a radiating element configured to have a fundamental resonance frequency being regarded as a first harmonic resonance frequency fo, and feed points positioned on the configured radiating element at selected multiple locations that correspond to where a multiple of the first harmonic resonance frequency have current maxima, wherein feeds at the feed points cooperate at an operating frequency of the antenna to constructively combine their respective antenna radiation patterns.Type: GrantFiled: July 22, 2013Date of Patent: July 19, 2016Assignee: BlackBerry LimitedInventors: Shirook M. Ali, Abdulhadi Ebrahim Abdulahdi, Christopher Andrew Devries
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Patent number: 9225058Abstract: Embodiments are directed to a flexible substrate, and an end-fire antenna array mounted on the flexible substrate, wherein the flexible substrate is configured to be oriented so that array gain is oriented in a direction perpendicular to a plane of the flexible substrate. Embodiments are directed to mounting an end-fire antenna array on a flexible substrate, and orienting the flexible substrate so that array gain is oriented in a direction perpendicular to a plane of the flexible substrate.Type: GrantFiled: March 15, 2013Date of Patent: December 29, 2015Assignee: BlackBerry LimitedInventors: Christopher Andrew DeVries, Houssam Kanj
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Patent number: 9077423Abstract: A user equipment and a wireless radio frequency assistant in a communication system that supports multiple input multiple output. The wireless radio frequency assistant and the user equipment operate together as a single system. The user equipment controls and activates the wireless radio frequency assistant to transform a first frequency of a radio frequency signal transmitted to the system of user equipment and the wireless radio frequency assistant to a second frequency. The wireless radio frequency assistant transmits the second frequency to the user equipment.Type: GrantFiled: October 11, 2013Date of Patent: July 7, 2015Assignee: BlackBerry LimitedInventors: Yan Xin, Shouxing Qu, Arnold Sheynman, Christopher Andrew DeVries, Daniel Noel Badiere
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Patent number: 9059490Abstract: Embodiments are directed to a transition structure for interfacing an integrated circuit chip and a substrate, comprising: a co-planar waveguide (CPW) structure formed based on ground-signal-ground (GSG) pads on the integrated circuit chip, a grounded co-planar waveguide (CPWG) structure coupled to the GSG pads, and a microstrip coupled to the CPWG structure.Type: GrantFiled: October 8, 2013Date of Patent: June 16, 2015Assignee: BlackBerry LimitedInventors: Christopher Andrew DeVries, Houssam Kanj, Morris Repeta, Huanhuan Gu
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Publication number: 20150097634Abstract: Embodiments are directed to a structure comprising: a first substrate section having a first thickness, a second substrate section having a second thickness different from the first thickness, a plurality of vias configured to couple a first ground plane associated with the first substrate section and a second ground plane associated with the second substrate section, and a microstrip comprising: a first section associated with the first substrate section and having a first width, a second section associated with the second substrate section and having a second width different from the first width, and a taper between the first width and the second width.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 8, 2013Publication date: April 9, 2015Applicant: BLACKBERRY LIMITEDInventors: Nasser Ghassemi, Houssam Kanj, Christopher Andrew DeVries, Huanhuan Gu
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Publication number: 20150097633Abstract: Embodiments are directed to a transition structure for interfacing an integrated circuit chip and a substrate, comprising: a co-planar waveguide (CPW) structure formed based on ground-signal-ground (GSG) pads on the integrated circuit chip, a grounded co-planar waveguide (CPWG) structure coupled to the GSG pads, and a microstrip coupled to the CPWG structure.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 8, 2013Publication date: April 9, 2015Applicant: BLACKBERRY LIMITEDInventors: Christopher Andrew DeVries, Houssam Kanj, Morris Repeta, Huanhuan Gu
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Patent number: 8989690Abstract: A radio frequency front end of a receiver including a tunable filter receiving a signal; a controller for tuning the tunable filter; and an interference detection circuit configured to detect interference and provide an input to a controller, wherein the controller tunes the tunable filter based on the input from the interference detection circuit. Also a method for removing interference at a radio frequency front end of a receiver, the method detecting interference at an interference detection circuit; and tuning at least one tunable filter to at least one frequency of the detected interference.Type: GrantFiled: February 15, 2013Date of Patent: March 24, 2015Assignee: BlackBerry LimitedInventors: Christopher Andrew Devries, Daniel Noel Badiere
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Publication number: 20150022411Abstract: An antenna, including a radiating element configured to have a fundamental resonance frequency being regarded as a first harmonic resonance frequency fo, and feed points positioned on the configured radiating element at selected multiple locations that correspond to where a multiple of the first harmonic resonance frequency have current maxima, wherein feeds at the feed points cooperate at an operating frequency of the antenna to constructively combine their respective antenna radiation patterns.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 22, 2013Publication date: January 22, 2015Applicant: BlackBerry LimitedInventors: Shirook M. ALI, Abdulhadi Ebrahim ABDULAHDI, Christopher Andrew DEVRIES
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Publication number: 20140266973Abstract: Embodiments are directed to a flexible substrate, and an end-fire antenna array mounted on the flexible substrate, wherein the flexible substrate is configured to be oriented so that array gain is oriented in a direction perpendicular to a plane of the flexible substrate. Embodiments are directed to mounting an end-fire antenna array on a flexible substrate, and orienting the flexible substrate so that array gain is oriented in a direction perpendicular to a plane of the flexible substrate.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 15, 2013Publication date: September 18, 2014Applicant: RESEARCH IN MOTION LIMITEDInventors: Christopher Andrew DeVries, Houssam Kanj
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Patent number: 8693597Abstract: Methods, devices and systems for sensor-based wireless communication systems using compressive sampling are provided. In one embodiment, the method for sampling signals comprises receiving, over a wireless channel, a user equipment transmission based on an S-sparse combination of a set of vectors; down converting and discretizing the received transmission to create a discretized signal; correlating the discretized signal with a set of sense waveforms to create a set of samples, wherein a total number of samples in the set is equal to a total number of sense waveforms in the set, wherein the set of sense waveforms does not match the set of vectors, and wherein the total number of sense waveforms in the set of sense waveforms is fewer than a total number of vectors in the set of vectors; and transmitting at least one sample of the set of samples to a remote central processor.Type: GrantFiled: July 29, 2010Date of Patent: April 8, 2014Assignee: BlackBerry LimitedInventors: Thomas Aloysius Sexton, Christopher Andrew DeVries
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Publication number: 20140038585Abstract: A user equipment and a wireless radio frequency assistant in a communication system that supports multiple input multiple output. The wireless radio frequency assistant and the user equipment operate together as a single system. The user equipment controls and activates the wireless radio frequency assistant to transform a first frequency of a radio frequency signal transmitted to the system of user equipment and the wireless radio frequency assistant to a second frequency. The wireless radio frequency assistant transmits the second frequency to the user equipment.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 11, 2013Publication date: February 6, 2014Applicant: BLACKBERRY LIMITEDInventors: Yan Xin, Shouxing Qu, Arnold Sheynman, Christopher Andrew DeVries, Daniel Noel Badiere
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Publication number: 20100310011Abstract: Methods, devices and systems for sensor-based wireless communication systems using compressive sampling are provided. In one embodiment, the method for sampling signals comprises receiving, over a wireless channel, a user equipment transmission based on an S-sparse combination of a set of vectors; down converting and discretizing the received transmission to create a discretized signal; correlating the discretized signal with a set of sense waveforms to create a set of samples, wherein a total number of samples in the set is equal to a total number of sense waveforms in the set, wherein the set of sense waveforms does not match the set of vectors, and wherein the total number of sense waveforms in the set of sense waveforms is fewer than a total number of vectors in the set of vectors; and transmitting at least one sample of the set of samples to a remote central processor.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 29, 2010Publication date: December 9, 2010Applicant: RESEARCH IN MOTION LTD.Inventors: Thomas Aloysius Sexton, Christopher Andrew DeVries
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Patent number: 7539476Abstract: An improved receiver architecture and method for a wireless transceiver (e.g. for a headphone) is provided whereby the receiver, advantageously, enables the use of only one synthesizer circuit for both the RF-to-IF and IF-to-base band conversion processes which, in turn, provides for lower power consumption. The receiver includes an injection locked local receiver oscillator (Rx LO) which is used for the first mixing stage (i.e. the RF-to-IF conversion). The Rx LO 105 is thereby able to use a high-level harmonic of a relatively low reference frequency signal produced by that synthesizer (e.g. a fractional-N phase locked loop circuit (PLL)). The receiver further includes a tunable Q-enhanced IF filter 110 and complex sub-sampling and mixing down-conversion circuitry for the second conversion stage (i.e. IF-to-baseband conversion). The sampling frequency used for the second conversion stage is a harmonic of the reference frequency derived from the synthesizer (PLL).Type: GrantFiled: March 13, 2006Date of Patent: May 26, 2009Assignee: Kleer Semiconductor CorporationInventors: Christopher Andrew Devries, Ralph Dickson Mason, Ronald Douglas Beards
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Patent number: 6963249Abstract: The invention relates to the field of electronics and more particularly to the tuning and injection locking of voltage controlled oscillators (VCOs). An improved injection locking circuit is provided which allows the VCO to injection lock with a smaller reference signal and therefore a smaller locking bandwidth (LBW). In order to allow the VCO to injection lock with a lower power reference signal, this invention includes a pre-tuning algorithm to place the VCO frequency such that the desired frequency is in the LBW. Tuning of the VCO is achieved using direct digital tuning that does not require an input reference. Injection locking is performed using a low frequency clock harmonic as the reference signal. More specifically, tuning is accomplished by sub-sampling and digitizing the output signal of the VCO, determining the center frequency, and adjusting the VCO control voltage.Type: GrantFiled: August 12, 2003Date of Patent: November 8, 2005Assignee: ENQ Semiconductor Inc.Inventors: Christopher Andrew Devries, Ralph Dickson Mason
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Patent number: 6873215Abstract: A power down system and method for an integrated circuit that enables a power down mode to be maintained for a predetermined time is described herein. The power down system comprises an oscillator, a low power oscillator and an oscillator control circuit controlling both the oscillator and the low power oscillator. The oscillator control circuit including at least one real time counter. The oscillator control circuit being so configured that the oscillator is energized when said oscillator control circuit is in a normal mode and that, when a power down signal is received: a) the oscillator control circuit measures an oscillation frequency of the low power oscillator, b) the oscillator control circuit uses the measured oscillation frequency of the low power oscillator to set the real time counter so as to maintain the power down mode for the predetermined time, c) the oscillator control circuit turns off the oscillator and uses the low power oscillator for the duration of the power down.Type: GrantFiled: July 28, 2003Date of Patent: March 29, 2005Assignee: ENQ Semiconductor, Inc.Inventors: Christopher Andrew Devries, Ralph Dickson Mason
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Patent number: 6836158Abstract: The invention relates to electronic “sample and hold” circuits and, in particular, to such circuits which may implemented in integrated form. A method and circuit are provided for improving isolation during the hold mode of operation of a sampling circuit. An input differential signal is provided to parallel circuit paths (viz. a primary sampling path and an isolation path) which are identical (electronically equivalent) and, therefore, provide the same impedance leading to hold capacitor(s). The circuit paths are configured, relative to the differential inputs, so that any feed through (leakage) of the differential input signal is subtracted (cancelled) during the hold mode.Type: GrantFiled: August 12, 2003Date of Patent: December 28, 2004Assignee: ENQ Semiconductor Inc.Inventors: Christopher Andrew Devries, Ralph Dickson Mason
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Publication number: 20040063473Abstract: A power down system and method for an integrated circuit that enables a power down mode to be maintained for a predetermined time is described herein. The power down system comprises an oscillator, a low power oscillator and an oscillator control circuit controlling both the oscillator and the low power oscillator. The oscillator control circuit including at least one real time counter. The oscillator control circuit being so configured that the oscillator is energized when said oscillator control circuit is in a normal mode and that, when a power down signal is received: a) the oscillator control circuit measures an oscillation frequency of the low power oscillator, b) the oscillator control circuit uses the measured oscillation frequency of the low power oscillator to set the real time counter so as to maintain the power down mode for the predetermined time, c) the oscillator control circuit turns off the oscillator and uses the low power oscillator for the duration of the power down.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 28, 2003Publication date: April 1, 2004Inventors: Christopher Andrew Devries, Ralph Dickson Mason
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Publication number: 20040036538Abstract: The invention relates to the field of electronics and more particularly to the tuning and injection locking of voltage controlled oscillators (VCOs). An improved injection locking circuit is provided which allows the VCO to injection lock with a smaller reference signal and therefore a smaller locking bandwidth (LBW). In order to allow the VCO to injection lock with a lower power reference signal, this invention includes a pre-tuning algorithm to place the VCO frequency such that the desired frequency is in the LBW. Tuning of the VCO is achieved using direct digital tuning that does not require an input reference. Injection locking is performed using a low frequency clock harmonic as the reference signal. More specifically, tuning is accomplished by sub-sampling and digitizing the output signal of the VCO, determining the center frequency, and adjusting the VCO control voltage.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 12, 2003Publication date: February 26, 2004Inventors: Christopher Andrew Devries, Ralph Dickson Mason
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Publication number: 20040031982Abstract: The invention relates to the field of microelectronics, more particularly to the structure and layout of integrated circuit capacitors. An integrated circuit capacitor is provided comprising: a first conductive component comprising a plurality of digital sub-components; and a second conductive component comprising a plurality of digital sub-components; wherein the digital sub-components of the first and second conductive components are interleaved and parallel, with a narrow uniform distance therebetween; and wherein the orientation of the interleaved digital sub-components is symmetrical about the center of the integrated circuit capacitor. This symmetrical orientation aids in the creation of a capacitor with well-matched top and bottom plates and capacitor pairs that have well-defined ratios. The arrangement serves to minimize the photolithographic variations by averaging the offsets caused by the different lithographic traces.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 12, 2003Publication date: February 19, 2004Inventors: Christopher Andrew Devries, Ralph Dickson Mason
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Publication number: 20040032286Abstract: The invention relates to electronic “sample and hold” circuits and, in particular, to such circuits which may implemented in integrated form. A method and circuit are provided for improving isolation during the hold mode of operation of a sampling circuit. An input differential signal is provided to parallel circuit paths (viz. a primary sampling path and an isolation path) which are identical (electronically equivalent) and, therefore, provide the same impedance leading to hold capacitor(s). The circuit paths are configured, relative to the differential inputs, so that any feed through (leakage) of the differential input signal is subtracted (cancelled) during the hold mode.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 12, 2003Publication date: February 19, 2004Inventors: Christopher Andrew Devries, Ralph Dickson Mason