Patents by Inventor Jeffrey S. Herd

Jeffrey S. Herd 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: 20220043323
    Abstract: An integrated optical beam steering device includes a planar dielectric lens that collimates beams from different inputs in different directions within the lens plane. It also includes an output coupler, such as a grating or photonic crystal, that guides the collimated beams in different directions out of the lens plane. A switch matrix controls which input port is illuminated and hence the in-plane propagation direction of the collimated beam. And a tunable light source changes the wavelength to control the angle at which the collimated beam leaves the plane of the substrate. The device is very efficient, in part because the input port (and thus in-plane propagation direction) can be changed by actuating only log2 N of the N switches in the switch matrix. It can also be much simpler, smaller, and cheaper because it needs fewer control lines than a conventional optical phased array with the same resolution.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 15, 2021
    Publication date: February 10, 2022
    Applicant: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Scott A. SKIRLO, Cheryl Marie SORACE-AGASKAR, Marin SOLJACIC, Simon VERGHESE, Jeffrey S. HERD, Paul William JUODAWLKIS, Yi YANG, DIRK ENGLUND, Mihika PRABHU
  • Patent number: 11194038
    Abstract: A multistatic array topology and image reconstruction process for fast 3D near field microwave imaging are presented. Together, the techniques allow for hardware efficient realization of an electrically large aperture and video-rate image reconstruction. The array topology samples the scene on a regular grid of phase centers, using a tiling of multistatic arrays. Following a multistatic-to-monostatic correction, the sampled data can then be processed with the well-known and highly efficient monostatic Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) imaging algorithm. In this work, the approach is described and validated experimentally with the formation of high quality microwave images. The scheme is more than two orders of magnitude more computationally efficient than the backprojection method. In fact, it is so efficient that a cluster of four commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) graphical processing units (GPUs) can render a 3D image of a human-sized scene in 0.048-0.101 seconds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    Inventors: William F. Moulder, James D. Krieger, Denise T. Maurais-Galejs, Huy T. Nguyen, Jeffrey S. Herd
  • Patent number: 11175562
    Abstract: An integrated optical beam steering device includes a planar dielectric lens that collimates beams from different inputs in different directions within the lens plane. It also includes an output coupler, such as a grating or photonic crystal, that guides the collimated beams in different directions out of the lens plane. A switch matrix controls which input port is illuminated and hence the in-plane propagation direction of the collimated beam. And a tunable light source changes the wavelength to control the angle at which the collimated beam leaves the plane of the substrate. The device is very efficient, in part because the input port (and thus in-plane propagation direction) can be changed by actuating only log2 N of the N switches in the switch matrix. It can also be much simpler, smaller, and cheaper because it needs fewer control lines than a conventional optical phased array with the same resolution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Scott A. Skirlo, Cheryl Marie Sorace-Agaskar, Marin Soljacic, Simon Verghese, Jeffrey S. Herd, Paul William Juodawlkis, Yi Yang, Dirk Englund, Mihika Prabhu
  • Publication number: 20200333683
    Abstract: An integrated optical beam steering device includes a planar dielectric lens that collimates beams from different inputs in different directions within the lens plane. It also includes an output coupler, such as a grating or photonic crystal, that guides the collimated beams in different directions out of the lens plane. A switch matrix controls which input port is illuminated and hence the in-plane propagation direction of the collimated beam. And a tunable light source changes the wavelength to control the angle at which the collimated beam leaves the plane of the substrate. The device is very efficient, in part because the input port (and thus in-plane propagation direction) can be changed by actuating only log2 N of the N switches in the switch matrix. It can also be much simpler, smaller, and cheaper because it needs fewer control lines than a conventional optical phased array with the same resolution.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 7, 2020
    Publication date: October 22, 2020
    Inventors: Scott A. SKIRLO, Cheryl Marie SORACE-AGASKAR, Marin SOLJACIC, Simon VERGHESE, Jeffrey S. HERD, Paul William JUODAWLKIS, Yi YANG, DIRK ENGLUND, Mihika PRABHU
  • Patent number: 10649306
    Abstract: An integrated optical beam steering device includes a planar dielectric lens that collimates beams from different inputs in different directions within the lens plane. It also includes an output coupler, such as a grating or photonic crystal, that guides the collimated beams in different directions out of the lens plane. A switch matrix controls which input port is illuminated and hence the in-plane propagation direction of the collimated beam. And a tunable light source changes the wavelength to control the angle at which the collimated beam leaves the plane of the substrate. The device is very efficient, in part because the input port (and thus in-plane propagation direction) can be changed by actuating only log2 N of the N switches in the switch matrix. It can also be much simpler, smaller, and cheaper because it needs fewer control lines than a conventional optical phased array with the same resolution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2020
    Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Scott A. Skirlo, Cheryl Marie Sorace-Agaskar, Marin Soljacic, Simon Verghese, Jeffrey S. Herd, Paul William Juodawlkis, Yi Yang, Dirk Robert Englund, Mihika Prabhu
  • Patent number: 10541658
    Abstract: Systems and methods for improving power amplifier operation are provided. A system may include a baseband signal generator communicatively coupled to a baseband signal digital-to-analog converter. The baseband signal digital-to-analog converter may be communicatively coupled to two or more power amplifiers. The system may also include an envelope signal generator communicatively coupled to an envelope signal digital-to-analog converter. The system may further include a supply modulator communicatively coupled to the envelope signal digital-to-analog converter and the two or more power amplifiers for shared envelope tracking across the two or more power amplifiers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2020
    Assignee: MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Andrew H. Zai, Michael D. Lockard, Kenneth E. Kolodziej, Jeffrey S. Herd
  • Publication number: 20190324135
    Abstract: A multistatic array topology and image reconstruction process for fast 3D near field microwave imaging are presented. Together, the techniques allow for hardware efficient realization of an electrically large aperture and video-rate image reconstruction. The array topology samples the scene on a regular grid of phase centers, using a tiling of multistatic arrays. Following a multistatic-to-monostatic correction, the sampled data can then be processed with the well-known and highly efficient monostatic Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) imaging algorithm. In this work, the approach is described and validated experimentally with the formation of high quality microwave images. The scheme is more than two orders of magnitude more computationally efficient than the backprojection method. In fact, it is so efficient that a cluster of four commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) graphical processing units (GPUs) can render a 3D image of a human-sized scene in 0.048-0.101 seconds.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 6, 2019
    Publication date: October 24, 2019
    Inventors: William F. Moulder, James D. KRIEGER, Denise T. MAURAIS-GALEJS, Huy T. NGUYEN, Jeffrey S. HERD
  • Publication number: 20190265574
    Abstract: An integrated optical beam steering device includes a planar dielectric lens that collimates beams from different inputs in different directions within the lens plane. It also includes an output coupler, such as a grating or photonic crystal, that guides the collimated beams in different directions out of the lens plane. A switch matrix controls which input port is illuminated and hence the in-plane propagation direction of the collimated beam. And a tunable light source changes the wavelength to control the angle at which the collimated beam leaves the plane of the substrate. The device is very efficient, in part because the input port (and thus in-plane propagation direction) can be changed by actuating only log2 N of the N switches in the switch matrix. It can also be much simpler, smaller, and cheaper because it needs fewer control lines than a conventional optical phased array with the same resolution.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 25, 2019
    Publication date: August 29, 2019
    Inventors: Scott A. SKIRLO, Cheryl Marie SORACE-AGASKAR, Marin SOLJACIC, Simon VERGHESE, Jeffrey S. HERD, Paul William JUODAWLKIS, Yi YANG, Dirk Robert ENGLUND, Mihika PRABHU
  • Patent number: 10353067
    Abstract: A multistatic array topology and image reconstruction process for fast 3D near field microwave imaging are presented. Together, the techniques allow for hardware efficient realization of an electrically large aperture and video-rate image reconstruction. The array topology samples the scene on a regular grid of phase centers, using a tiling of multistatic arrays. Following a multistatic-to-monostatic correction, the sampled data can then be processed with the well-known and highly efficient monostatic Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) imaging algorithm. In this work, the approach is described and validated experimentally with the formation of high quality microwave images. The scheme is more than two orders of magnitude more computationally efficient than the backprojection method. In fact, it is so efficient that a cluster of four commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) graphical processing units (GPUs) can render a 3D image of a human-sized scene in 0.048-0.101 seconds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    Inventors: William F. Moulder, James D. Krieger, Denise T. Maurais-Galejs, Huy Nguyen, Jeffrey S. Herd
  • Patent number: 10261389
    Abstract: An integrated optical beam steering device includes a planar dielectric lens that collimates beams from different inputs in different directions within the lens plane. It also includes an output coupler, such as a grating or photonic crystal, that guides the collimated beams in different directions out of the lens plane. A switch matrix controls which input port is illuminated and hence the in-plane propagation direction of the collimated beam. And a tunable light source changes the wavelength to control the angle at which the collimated beam leaves the plane of the substrate. The device is very efficient, in part because the input port (and thus in-plane propagation direction) can be changed by actuating only log2 N of the N switches in the switch matrix. It can also be much simpler, smaller, and cheaper because it needs fewer control lines than a conventional optical phased array with the same resolution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2019
    Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Scott Skirlo, Cheryl Marie Sorace-Agaskar, Marin Soljacic, Simon Verghese, Jeffrey S. Herd, Paul William Juodawlkis, Yi Yang, Dirk Robert Englund, Mihika Prabhu
  • Patent number: 10236593
    Abstract: Described is a printed circuit antenna array including at least one castellated substrate. Also described is a stacked patch antenna array having at least one castellated substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Pierre A. Dufilie, Jeffrey S. Herd
  • Publication number: 20180175809
    Abstract: Systems and methods for improving power amplifier operation are provided. A system may include a baseband signal generator communicatively coupled to a baseband signal digital-to-analog converter. The baseband signal digital-to-analog converter may be communicatively coupled to two or more power amplifiers. The system may also include an envelope signal generator communicatively coupled to an envelope signal digital-to-analog converter. The system may further include a supply modulator communicatively coupled to the envelope signal digital-to-analog converter and the two or more power amplifiers for shared envelope tracking across the two or more power amplifiers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2017
    Publication date: June 21, 2018
    Inventors: Andrew H. Zai, Michael D. Lockard, Kenneth E. Kolodziej, Jeffrey S. Herd
  • Publication number: 20180090852
    Abstract: Described is a printed circuit antenna array including at least one castellated substrate. Also described is a stacked patch antenna array having at least one castellated substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2016
    Publication date: March 29, 2018
    Inventors: Pierre A. Dufilie, Jeffrey S. Herd
  • Publication number: 20170371227
    Abstract: An integrated optical beam steering device includes a planar dielectric lens that collimates beams from different inputs in different directions within the lens plane. It also includes an output coupler, such as a grating or photonic crystal, that guides the collimated beams in different directions out of the lens plane. A switch matrix controls which input port is illuminated and hence the in-plane propagation direction of the collimated beam. And a tunable light source changes the wavelength to control the angle at which the collimated beam leaves the plane of the substrate. The device is very efficient, in part because the input port (and thus in-plane propagation direction) can be changed by actuating only log2 N of the N switches in the switch matrix. It can also be much simpler, smaller, and cheaper because it needs fewer control lines than a conventional optical phased array with the same resolution.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2017
    Publication date: December 28, 2017
    Inventors: Scott SKIRLO, Cheryl Marie Sorace-Agaskar, Marin Soljacic, Simon Verghese, Jeffrey S. Herd, Paul William Juodawlkis, Yi Yang, Dirk Robert Englund, Mihika Prabhu
  • Patent number: 9847582
    Abstract: An antenna system capable of achieving simultaneous transmit and receive (STAR) operation over a wide bandwidth includes a ring array of TEM horn elements and a centrally located monocone or bicone antenna. The TEM horn elements each include a capacitive feed. The elements of the ring array are excited using a phasing scheme that results in signal cancellation at the location of the central element. The ring array may serve as either the transmit antenna or the receive antenna.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2017
    Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    Inventors: William F. Moulder, Bradley T. Perry, Jeffrey S. Herd
  • Publication number: 20170227636
    Abstract: A multistatic array topology and image reconstruction process for fast 3D near field microwave imaging are presented. Together, the techniques allow for hardware efficient realization of an electrically large aperture and video-rate image reconstruction. The array topology samples the scene on a regular grid of phase centers, using a tiling of multistatic arrays. Following a multistatic-to-monostatic correction, the sampled data can then be processed with the well-known and highly efficient monostatic Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) imaging algorithm. In this work, the approach is described and validated experimentally with the formation of high quality microwave images. The scheme is more than two orders of magnitude more computationally efficient than the backprojection method. In fact, it is so efficient that a cluster of four commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) graphical processing units (GPUs) can render a 3D image of a human-sized scene in 0.048-0.101 seconds.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 12, 2016
    Publication date: August 10, 2017
    Inventors: William F. Moulder, James D. Krieger, Denise T. Maurais-Galejs, Huy Nguyen, Jeffrey S. Herd
  • Publication number: 20150145741
    Abstract: An antenna system capable of achieving simultaneous transmit and receive (STAR.) operation over a wide bandwidth includes a ring array of TEM horn elements and a centrally located monocone or bicone antenna. The TEM horn elements each include a capacitive feed. The elements of the ring array are excited using a phasing scheme that results in signal cancellation, at the location of the central element. The ring array may serve as either the transmit antenna or the receive antenna.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 11, 2014
    Publication date: May 28, 2015
    Applicant: MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: William F. Moulder, Bradley T. Perry, Jeffrey S. Herd
  • Patent number: 8749441
    Abstract: Described is a simultaneous transmit and receive antenna system having a ring array of transmit antenna elements and a receive antenna element disposed on an axis that is perpendicular to and passing through the center of the ring array. Alternatively, the ring array includes receive elements and a transmit antenna element is disposed on the axis perpendicular to the ring array. Opposite antenna elements in the ring array differ in phase by 180° so that a radiation pattern null occurs at the antenna element at the center of the ring array. Also included are at least one ground plane and an electrically-conductive cylinder disposed on the perpendicular axis inside the ring array to provide a high degree of isolation between the transmit and receive antenna elements. The system may be configured for wireless communications, for example, according to WIFI IEEE standard 802.11 or WIMAX IEEE standard 802.16.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2014
    Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Alan J. Fenn, Peter T. Hurst, Jeffrey S. Herd, Kenneth E. Kolodziej, Leonard I. Parad, Hans Steyskal
  • Publication number: 20130106667
    Abstract: Described is a simultaneous transmit and receive antenna system having a ring array of transmit antenna elements and a receive antenna element disposed on an axis that is perpendicular to and passing through the center of the ring array. Alternatively, the ring array includes receive elements and a transmit antenna element is disposed on the axis perpendicular to the ring array. Opposite antenna elements in the ring array differ in phase by 180° so that a radiation pattern null occurs at the antenna element at the center of the ring array. Also included are at least one ground plane and an electrically-conductive cylinder disposed on the perpendicular axis inside the ring array to provide a high degree of isolation between the transmit and receive antenna elements. The system may be configured for wireless communications, for example, according to WIFI IEEE standard 802.11 or WIMAX IEEE standard 802.16.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 27, 2011
    Publication date: May 2, 2013
    Applicant: MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Alan J. Fenn, Peter T. Hurst, Jeffrey S. Herd, Kenneth E. Kolodziej, Leonard I. Parad, Hans Steyskal
  • Patent number: 6198438
    Abstract: A reconfigurable microstrip antenna array geometry which utilizes Micro-Electro-Mechanical System (MEMS) switches to electrically connect groups of printed patch radiators for operation at multiple frequencies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2001
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventors: Jeffrey S. Herd, Marat Davidovitz, Hans Steyskal