Patents by Inventor Erik Lier

Erik Lier 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).

  • Publication number: 20150102959
    Abstract: A system for interference suppression onboard a satellite includes a beamforming module that processes radio-frequency (RF) signals originated from a plurality of antenna elements of an array antenna to generate multiple analog signals. At least one of the analog signals is an anti-interference signal. Analog-to-digital converters convert the analog signals to a number of digital signals. A processing module processes the digital signals to generate a phase and amplitude control signal. A summation module generates one or more composite signals with reduced interference.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 12, 2014
    Publication date: April 16, 2015
    Inventors: Erik LIER, Anthony W. JACOMB-HOOD, Matthew George BRAY, Russell T. BAKER
  • Patent number: 8912973
    Abstract: Examples of the present invention include metamaterials, including metamaterial lenses, having material properties that approximate the behavior of a material with low (0<n<1) effective index of refraction. Metamaterials may be designed and tuned using dispersion engineering to create a relatively wide-band low-index region. A low-index metamaterial lens created highly collimated beams in the far-field from a low-directivity antenna feed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2014
    Assignees: The Penn State Research Foundation, Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventors: Douglas H. Werner, Erik Lier, Bonnie G. Martin, Jeremiah P. Turpin, Qi Wu
  • Patent number: 8820921
    Abstract: A system and method for connecting eyeglasses or a similar device to the ear of a person, while enabling the device to be selectively raised and lowered as needed. A set of ear anchors attach to a wearer's head. Each of the ear anchors has a pinna loop that is sized to encircle the pinna of the ear. An arm is supported by each of the ear anchors. Each arm extends forward of the ear anchors toward the eyes of the wearer. The temple elements of the eyeglasses interconnect with the arms using connectors. The connectors can be formed into the structure of the arms or can be separate elements that mechanically attach to the arms. The connectors engage the temple elements yet enable the temple elements to be selectively manipulated between a functional position and a raised position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Inventors: Erik Lier, Lars Langli
  • Publication number: 20130268250
    Abstract: A method for making an electromagnetic band gap structure includes performing a single full wave simulation for the structure using a computer to perform the simulation, extracting a multiple port scattering matrix based on the single full wave simulation using a computer, and measuring or estimating a transmission of waves across the body between a first port and a second port of the body. The body has multiple ports between the first port and the second port that are defined by scattering elements using the computer. The matrix may be reduced to a two by two matrix recursively one dimension at a time using the computer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 8, 2013
    Publication date: October 10, 2013
    Applicant: THE PENN STATE RESEARCH FOUNDATION
    Inventors: Douglas H. Werner, Spencer Martin, Erik Lier, Matthew Bray
  • Patent number: 8525616
    Abstract: An antenna feed network includes a septum polarizer including a waveguide defining a cavity, wherein a septum is disposed in the cavity to divide the cavity to form a first port and as second port, a diplexer in signal communication with at least one of the first port and the second port of the septum polarizer to route a signal based upon a frequency, and a wave coupler/splitter in signal communication with the diplexer to send and receive signals therebetween, the wave coupler/splitter including a first signal path and a second signal path, wherein the wave coupler/splitter controls a phase shift of a signal transmitted through at least one of the first signal path and the second signal path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2013
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventors: Robert K. Shaw, Jonathan P. MacGahan, Sulinder S. Dhanjal, Erik Lier, Bernard F. Lindinger, James W. Matthews, Kanti N. Patel
  • Patent number: 8493273
    Abstract: An antenna array comprises two or more antenna elements. Each of the two or more antenna elements is configured to scan within a field of view. Each of the two or more antenna elements is further configured to transmit or receive a signal. The antenna array also comprises a metamaterial lens coupled to the two or more antenna elements. The metamaterial lens is configured to distribute the signal according to a sinc-like distribution over an aperture of the antenna array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2013
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventor: Erik Lier
  • Patent number: 8466370
    Abstract: Various aspects of the disclosure provide low index metamaterials. The low index metamaterials may be used to form soft and/or hard electromagnetic (EM) boundaries to facilitate desired EM performance or propagation in applications including feed horns, spatial feed/combiners, isolation barriers between antennas or RF modules, and reduced radar cross-section applications. In one aspect, a low index metamaterial comprises a dielectric layer and a plurality of conductors on a surface of the dielectric layer, embedded in the dielectric layer or both, wherein the low index metamaterial appears as a medium having a dielectric constant less than one with respect to electromagnetic waves at predetermined frequencies and propagating at grazing angles with respect to a surface of the low index metamaterial.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2013
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventor: Erik Lier
  • Publication number: 20120280872
    Abstract: Examples of the present invention include metamaterials, including metamaterial lenses, having material properties that approximate the behavior of a material with low (0<n<1) effective index of refraction. Metamaterials may be designed and tuned using dispersion engineering to create a relatively wide-band low-index region. A low-index metamaterial lens created highly collimated beams in the far-field from a low-directivity antenna feed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 4, 2012
    Publication date: November 8, 2012
    Inventors: Douglas H. Werner, Erik Lier, Bonnie G. Martin, Jeremiah P. Turpin, Qi Wu
  • Publication number: 20120176287
    Abstract: A new class of feed horns is provided based on the use of metamaterial printed circuit board (PCB) liners on the walls of the feed horns. These feed horns may be implemented to achieve low cost operation. PCBs making up the metamaterial liner may be assembled together in such a manner as to form a feed horn with a square or rectangular aperture shape, although other suitable shapes are possible. These PCBs may be fabricated from standard low cost, off-the-shelf dielectric material. A conductor artwork pattern on the PCB surface forming the interior surface of the feed horn can be designed such that the PCB feed horn yields radio frequency (RF) properties similar to that of a corrugated feed horn. A simple flat plate ground plane bonded to the back side of the PCB can serve as the feed horn structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 12, 2012
    Publication date: July 12, 2012
    Applicant: LOCKHEED MARTIN CORPORATION
    Inventors: Bonnie G. MARTIN, Erik LIER
  • Publication number: 20120176284
    Abstract: An antenna array comprises two or more antenna elements. Each of the two or more antenna elements is configured to scan within a field of view. Each of the two or more antenna elements is further configured to transmit or receive a signal. The antenna array also comprises a metamaterial lens coupled to the two or more antenna elements. The metamaterial lens is configured to distribute the signal according to a sinc-like distribution over an aperture of the antenna array.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 19, 2012
    Publication date: July 12, 2012
    Applicant: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventor: Erik Lier
  • Patent number: 8164531
    Abstract: An antenna array comprises two or more antenna elements. Each of the two or more antenna elements is configured to scan within a field of view. Each of the two or more antenna elements is further configured to transmit or receive a signal. The antenna array also comprises a metamaterial lens coupled to the two or more antenna elements. The metamaterial lens is configured to distribute the signal according to a sinc-like distribution over an aperture of the antenna array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2012
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventor: Erik Lier
  • Patent number: 8072386
    Abstract: A horn antenna includes a conducting horn having an inner wall and a first dielectric layer lining the inner wall of the conducting horn. The first dielectric layer includes a metamaterial having a relative dielectric constant of greater than 0 and less than 1. The horn antenna may further include a dielectric core abutting at least a portion of the first dielectric layer. In one aspect, the dielectric core includes a fluid. A waveguide including a metamaterial is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2011
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventors: Erik Lier, Allen Katz
  • Publication number: 20110095953
    Abstract: A multiple beam reflector antenna includes at least one reflector, a plurality of feed horns for feeding the at least one reflector, and a metamaterial lens interposed between the plurality of feed horns and the at least one reflector. The metamaterial lens may provide an overlapping element distribution from at least two feed horns of the plurality of feed horns. In one embodiment, the metamaterial lens has an index of refraction between about zero and about one.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 20, 2010
    Publication date: April 28, 2011
    Applicant: LOCKHEED MARTIN CORPORATION
    Inventor: Erik Lier
  • Publication number: 20100078203
    Abstract: Various aspects of the disclosure provide low index metamaterials. The low index metamaterials may be used to form soft and/or hard electromagnetic (EM) boundaries to facilitate desired EM performance or propagation in applications including feed horns, spatial feed/combiners, isolation barriers between antennas or RF modules, and reduced radar cross-section applications. In one aspect, a low index metamaterial comprises a dielectric layer and a plurality of conductors on a surface of the dielectric layer, embedded in the dielectric layer or both, wherein the low index metamaterial appears as a medium having a dielectric constant less than one with respect to electromagnetic waves at predetermined frequencies and propagating at grazing angles with respect to a surface of the low index metamaterial.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 22, 2009
    Publication date: April 1, 2010
    Applicant: LOCKHEED MARTIN CORPORATION
    Inventor: Erik LIER
  • Patent number: 7629937
    Abstract: A horn antenna includes a conducting horn having an inner wall and a first dielectric layer lining substantially the entire inner wall of the conducting horn. The first dielectric layer includes a metamaterial having a dielectric constant of greater than 0 and less than 1. The horn antenna may further include a dielectric core abutting at least a portion of the first dielectric layer. In one aspect, the dielectric core includes a fluid. A waveguide and a power combiner assembly, each including a metamaterial, are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2009
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventors: Erik Lier, Allen Katz
  • Publication number: 20090289863
    Abstract: An antenna array comprises two or more antenna elements. Each of the two or more antenna elements is configured to scan within a field of view. Each of the two or more antenna elements is further configured to transmit or receive a signal. The antenna array also comprises a metamaterial lens coupled to the two or more antenna elements. The metamaterial lens is configured to distribute the signal according to a sinc-like distribution over an aperture of the antenna array.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 15, 2009
    Publication date: November 26, 2009
    Applicant: LOCKHEED MARTIN CORPORATION
    Inventor: Erik LIER
  • Patent number: 7623085
    Abstract: An artificial dielectric antenna structure for reducing the mass and insertion loss of an antenna is provided. The artificial dielectric antenna structure includes a plurality of layers of dielectric material. Each layer of dielectric material has a dielectric constant. The artificial dielectric antenna structure further includes a plurality of spacing layers interposed between the plurality of layers of dielectric material. Each of the plurality of spacing layers has a dielectric constant lower than the dielectric constant of any of the plurality of layers of dielectric material. The artificial dielectric antenna structure may be disposed within a horn antenna. The artificial dielectric antenna structure may alternately be disposed upon a transmission medium to form a dielectric resonator antenna.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2009
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventor: Erik Lier
  • Publication number: 20090284429
    Abstract: A horn antenna includes a conducting horn having an inner wall and a first dielectric layer lining the inner wall of the conducting horn. The first dielectric layer includes a metamaterial having a relative dielectric constant of greater than 0 and less than 1. The horn antenna may further include a dielectric core abutting at least a portion of the first dielectric layer. In one aspect, the dielectric core includes a fluid. A waveguide including a metamaterial is also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 3, 2008
    Publication date: November 19, 2009
    Applicant: LOCKHEED MARTIN CORPORATION
    Inventors: Erik LIER, Allen Katz
  • Publication number: 20090213022
    Abstract: A horn antenna includes a conducting horn having an inner wall and a first dielectric layer lining substantially the entire inner wall of the conducting horn. The first dielectric layer includes a metamaterial having a dielectric constant of greater than 0 and less than 1. The horn antenna may further include a dielectric core abutting at least a portion of the first dielectric layer. In one aspect, the dielectric core includes a fluid. A waveguide and a power combiner assembly, each including a metamaterial, are also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 25, 2008
    Publication date: August 27, 2009
    Applicant: LOCKHEED MARTIN CORPORATION
    Inventors: Erik LIER, Allen Katz
  • Patent number: 7414591
    Abstract: An antenna system includes a helical antenna that includes one or more helically shaped conductors. Each conductor is substantially embedded in a dielectric structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2008
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventors: Erik Lier, Slawomir J. Fiedziuszko, Francis D. Tiziano