Patents by Inventor Jay C. Hicks

Jay C. Hicks 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: 4109117
    Abstract: An apparatus is capable of recovering signals from N sites, N.gtoreq.2, distributed along a single coaxial cable. This multiplexing technique allows the separation of signals from many transducers on one line. Time domain reflectometry (TDR) is used, with variable resistive elements distributed along the cable. TDR is used to detect discontinuities in the impedance of the cable as well as their specific location along the cable. The magnitude of these discontinuities is modulated by an impedance that is proportional to the applied signal. An excellent way of obtaining this kind of variable impendance along the line is to bias a field effect transistor (FET) so that it functions as a variable resistor. For a large number of signals to be multiplexed onto a coaxial cable, an FET is placed at each of the N signal sources. The coaxial cable has a characteristic impedance of Z.sub.o and the FET's are evenly spaced at a distance l.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 1977
    Date of Patent: August 22, 1978
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Edwin H. Wrench, Jr., Jay C. Hicks, Joseph F. McCartney