Patents by Inventor Frank Soulie

Frank Soulie 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: 8217848
    Abstract: RET antenna with motor and clutch assembly that is operative to mechanically disengage the DC motor and drive unit (also called the gear-motor unit) from the phase shifter adjustment shaft during a manual tilt operation. Disengaging the gear-motor unit removes the drag of the motor and the high gear ratio gear box from the phase shifter control rod making it easier to manually turn the phase shifter control knob. In addition, the clutch disengages the gear-motor without disengaging the position detector from the phase shifter control rod so that position calibration is not lost during manual tilt adjustment. When the manual tilt operation is completed, the mechanical tilt clutch enables the gear-motor unit to be reliably re-engaged with the phase shifter control rod for motorized electrical tilt operation without having to re-calibrate the position detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2012
    Assignee: Amphenol Corporation
    Inventors: Gregory Girard, Frank Soulie, Eric Proteau, Anthony Pallone
  • Patent number: 8027703
    Abstract: RET antenna with a modular switching unit and a multi-device control unit con figured to be inserted into and removed from a receptacle in the antenna. The multi-device control unit works together with motors and position sensors located inside the antenna to allow a single controller located in the multi-device control unit to control multiple embedded electro-mechanical actuators, such as phase shifter control motors. The multi-device control unit includes lightning protection circuits, communications circuits, a motor controller, power control circuits and a motor position sensing circuit inside a small housing. These components are shared between all motors inside the antenna through the modular switching unit, which allows a single set of components within the multi-device control unit to replace redundant components deployed in prior RET antennas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2011
    Assignee: Amphenol Corporation
    Inventors: Gregory Girard, Frank Soulie, Eric Proteau, Anthony Pallone
  • Publication number: 20100201591
    Abstract: RET antenna with a modular switching unit and a multi-device control unit con figured to be inserted into and removed from a receptacle in the antenna. The multi-device control unit works together with motors and position sensors located inside the antenna to allow a single controller located in the multi-device control unit to control multiple embedded electro-mechanical actuators, such as phase shifter control motors. The multi-device control unit includes lightning protection circuits, communications circuits, a motor controller, power control circuits and a motor position sensing circuit inside a small housing. These components are shared between all motors inside the antenna through the modular switching unit, which allows a single set of components within the multi-device control unit to replace redundant components deployed in prior RET antennas.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 11, 2009
    Publication date: August 12, 2010
    Inventors: Gregory Girard, Frank Soulie, Eric Proteau, Anthony Pallone
  • Publication number: 20100201590
    Abstract: RET antenna with motor and clutch assembly that is operative to mechanically disengage the DC motor and drive unit (also called the gear-motor unit) from the phase shifter adjustment shaft during a manual tilt operation. Disengaging the gear-motor unit removes the drag of the motor and the high gear ratio gear box from the phase shifter control rod making it easier to manually turn the phase shifter control knob. In addition, the clutch disengages the gear-motor without disengaging the position detector from the phase shifter control rod so that position calibration is not lost during manual tilt adjustment. When the manual tilt operation is completed, the mechanical tilt clutch enables the gear-motor unit to be reliably re-engaged with the phase shifter control rod for motorized electrical tilt operation without having to re-calibrate the position detector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 11, 2009
    Publication date: August 12, 2010
    Inventors: Gregory Girard, Frank Soulie, Eric Proteau, Anthony Pallone
  • Patent number: 7068236
    Abstract: A phasing element and an antenna including at least one such phasing element. The former is intended for inserting a variable lag into the transmission of an electric signal by variation of the electric path travelled by the signal in this element. The phasing element includes an input transmission line and an output transmission line, the lines being printed lines placed at the surface of a printed circuit. It also includes a mobile radioelectric coupling member, input and output transmission lines, which includes a first arm and a second arm. The electric path shows a variation field between a first position where the first and second arm cover respectively and entirely the transmission lines thereby defining a minimal electric path, and a second position where the first and second arms are respectively placed in the alignment of the transmission lines thereby defining a maximal electric path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2006
    Assignees: Jaybeam Limited, MAT Equipment
    Inventors: Anthony Pallone, Frank Soulie
  • Publication number: 20050184827
    Abstract: A phasing element and an antenna including at least one such phasing element. The former is intended for inserting a variable lag into the transmission of an electric signal by variation of the electric path travelled by the signal in this element. The phasing element includes an input transmission line and an output transmission line, the lines being printed lines placed at the surface of a printed circuit. It also includes a mobile radioelectric coupling member, input and output transmission lines, which includes a first arm and a second arm. The electric path shows a variation field between a first position where the first and second arm cover respectively and entirely the transmission lines thereby defining a minimal electric path, and a second position where the first and second arms are respectively placed in the alignment of the transmission lines thereby defining a maximal electric path.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 20, 2004
    Publication date: August 25, 2005
    Inventors: Anthony Pallone, Frank Soulie