Patents by Inventor Colin K. Campbell

Colin K. Campbell 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: 6462698
    Abstract: SAW devices such as interdigital transducers (IDTs) have been widely used in RADAR applications and as filters. An IDT produces a SAW when excited by a single electrical pulse and can be fabricated to embody a code, which code provides for a passive autocorrelation of a SAW input to the IDT and thereby lends itself to further application as a signal generator in a communication device. However, conventional SAW expanders and compressors typically have insertion losses greater than 20 dB, which can have a profound effect on an RF link budget in a communication system. Insertion losses are drastically reduced by using a single phase unidirectional transducer (SPUDT-type) instead of a conventional IDT as a SAW expander/compressor. A SPUDT-type reflects SAW components which are lost in conventional IDT designs so that a stronger SAW is directed toward a transmission element. In a receiver, a SPUDT-type directs a stronger SAW toward a compressor IDT.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2002
    Assignee: Research in Motion Limited
    Inventors: Colin K. Campbell, Peter J. Edmonson
  • Publication number: 20020053953
    Abstract: An adaptive tuning method for a wireless communication device determines the impedance of a matching circuit relative to an impedance to be matched and adjusts the impedance of the matching circuit accordingly. A passive surface acoustic wave (SAW) device includes multiple terminated interdigital transducers (IDTs) which generate reflected SAWs when excited by incident SAWs, each reflected SAW having magnitude and phase characteristics dependent upon the particular IDT termination. According to the invention, the IDT terminations include the impedance matching circuit and the impedance to be matched. Input IDTs in the SAW device are excited with electrical signals, which are converted to generate the incident SAWs. The resultant reflected SAWs are converted by output IDTs into output electrical signal signals which can then be analyzed to determine magnitude and phase differences between the output electrical signal signals and generate an impedance matching circuit control signal based thereon.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 29, 2001
    Publication date: May 9, 2002
    Inventors: Peter J. Edmonson, Colin K. Campbell
  • Publication number: 20010053179
    Abstract: SAW devices such as interdigital transducers (IDTs) have been widely used in RADAR applications and as filters. An IDT produces a SAW when excited by a single electrical pulse and can be fabricated to embody a code, which code provides for a passive autocorrelation of a SAW input to the IDT and thereby lends itself to further application as a signal generator in a communication device. However, conventional SAW expanders and compressors typically have insertion losses greater than 20 dB, which can have a profound effect on an RF link budget in a communication system. Insertion losses are drastically reduced by using a single phase unidirectional transducer (SPUDT-type) instead of a conventional IDT as a SAW expander/compressor. A SPUDT-type reflects SAW components which are lost in conventional IDT designs so that a stronger SAW is directed toward a transmission element. In a receiver, a SPUDT-type directs a stronger SAW toward a compressor IDT.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 24, 2001
    Publication date: December 20, 2001
    Inventors: Colin K. Campbell, Peter J. Edmonson
  • Publication number: 20010048386
    Abstract: SAW devices such as interdigital transducers (IDTs) have been widely used in RADAR applications and as filters. An IDT produces a SAW when excited by a single electrical pulse and can be fabricated to embody a code, which code provides for a passive autocorrelation of a SAW input to the IDT and thereby lends itself to further application as a signal generator in a communication device. However, internal dimensions of IDTs are inversely proportional to operating frequency, such that high frequency IDTs present significant manufacturing difficulties. Fabrication of IDTs for high frequency applications is simplified by exploiting a harmonic frequency SAW generated by IDTs. An IDT may therefore be designed according to fundamental frequency internal dimension criteria but can operate at a multiple of the fundamental frequency, thereby providing much higher frequency operation than conventional SAW systems.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 23, 2001
    Publication date: December 6, 2001
    Inventors: Peter J. Edmonson, Colin K. Campbell
  • Patent number: 5404796
    Abstract: A vending machine for providing french fried potatoes from dehydrated powder. Powder is metered into a cylinder of a rotatable, multi-cylinder cylinder block. Water is added when the block is rotated to the next stop. After mixing and two ready stations, the dough is extruded into hot oil in a cooking chamber. The oil is filtered and is then replenished from a reservoir. The dry powder and rehydrating stations are refrigerated. The vending machine includes absorption and adsorption filters to scrub the air while cooking to decrease oil odors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 1993
    Date of Patent: April 11, 1995
    Inventors: Colin K. Campbell, Dennis C. Pomerleau, Robert F. Rasmussen, Lawrence D. Pillar
  • Patent number: 5272961
    Abstract: A vending machine for providing french fried potatoes from dehydrated powder. Powder is metered into a cylinder of a rotatable, multi-cylinder cylinder block. Water is added when the block is rotated to the next stop. After mixing and two ready stations, the dough is extruded into hot oil in a cooking chamber. The oil is filtered and is then replenished from a reservoir. The dry powder and rehydrating stations are refrigerated. The vending machine includes absorption and adsorption filters to scrub the air while cooking to decrease oil odors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 1988
    Date of Patent: December 28, 1993
    Assignee: The R/M Trust Company
    Inventors: Colin K. Campbell, Dennis C. Pomerleau, Robert F. Rasmussen, Lawrence D. Pillar