Patents by Inventor John E. Grandfield

John E. Grandfield 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: 10819321
    Abstract: Disclosed is a phase shifter capable of achieving 360° phase shifts. The phase shifter includes an active balanced-to-unbalanced (balun) circuit for splitting an input signal into two signals offset in phase. The phase shifter further includes an active all-pass network electrically coupled to an output of the active balun circuit. The active all-pass network can include an active tunable inductor. A variable-gain amplifier (VGA) is electrically coupled to an output of the active all-pass network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2020
    Assignees: UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA, THE CHARLES STARK DRAPER LABORATORY
    Inventors: David Manuel Zaiden, Thomas M. Weller, John E. Grandfield, Gokhan Mumcu
  • Patent number: 10490897
    Abstract: A reduced radar cross section (RCS) antenna does not require housing the antennas in a radar-mitigating radome. Elements of the antenna are made from, or include, frequency selective surfaces that reduce reflection of radar or other signals. In some embodiments, the frequency selective surfaces are electrically tunable, thereby enabling a user or system to dynamically adjust the frequency or frequencies that are mitigated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2019
    Assignee: The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc.
    Inventors: John E. Grandfield, Jacob P. Treadway, Amy E. Duwel
  • Patent number: 9899746
    Abstract: An electronically steerable helical or spiral antenna includes a monopole antenna element disposed within at least one helical or spiral antenna element. The antenna can be electronically steered, i.e., its radiation pattern can be altered, such that the antenna radiates in a desired direction, without mechanically changing a direction in which the antenna is aimed and without mechanically changing orientation of any of the antenna's elements, by adjusting amplitude and phase of a signal fed to the monopole antenna element, relative to a signal fed to the at least one helical or spiral antenna element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2018
    Assignee: The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc.
    Inventors: John E. Grandfield, Phillip Hulse, Matthew Shea, Michael P. Abban
  • Patent number: 9748642
    Abstract: A low-profile loop antenna includes a driven element disposed very close, in some cases within about 0.005 wavelengths (?) or closer, to a ground plane, while maintaining sizable gain and usable feed point impedance. Width of the driven element varies along its circumference, such that two diametrically opposed portions of the driven element are wider, and therefore have lower impedance, than other diametrically opposed portions of the driven element. The antenna may be configured to achieve a desired feed point impedance. The antenna may be tuned over a wide bandwidth. Metallic objects placed near the center of the antenna loop do not significantly degrade performance of the antenna. A parasitic element may be added to create a circularly-polarized antenna, without significantly increasing the antenna's profile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2017
    Assignee: The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc.
    Inventor: John E. Grandfield
  • Publication number: 20160181697
    Abstract: A low-profile loop antenna includes a driven element disposed very close, in some cases within about 0.005 wavelengths (?) or closer, to a ground plane, while maintaining sizable gain and usable feed point impedance. Width of the driven element varies along its circumference, such that two diametrically opposed portions of the driven element are wider, and therefore have lower impedance, than other diametrically opposed portions of the driven element. The antenna may be configured to achieve a desired feed point impedance. The antenna may be tuned over a wide bandwidth. Metallic objects placed near the center of the antenna loop do not significantly degrade performance of the antenna. A parasitic element may be added to create a circularly-polarized antenna, without significantly increasing the antenna's profile.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2015
    Publication date: June 23, 2016
    Inventor: John E. Grandfield
  • Patent number: 9337533
    Abstract: An antenna has a spiral driven element that meanders in a z direction, perpendicular to the x-y plane of the spiral, and a ground plane that also meanders in the z direction, such that spacing between the ground plane and the driven element is an odd multiple of one-quarter wavelength, along at least a portion of the length of the driven element. The spacing promotes constructive interference from signals reflected by the ground plane, increasing the front-to-back ratio of the antenna and, thereby, providing gain. The ground plane of a wideband version of the spiral antenna meanders, such that the spacing varies between about an odd multiple of one-quarter wavelength of an upper frequency to about an odd multiple of one-quarter wavelength of a lower frequency of a frequency range, thereby providing gain over a range of frequencies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2016
    Assignee: The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc.
    Inventors: John E. Grandfield, Phillip Hulse
  • Publication number: 20160043464
    Abstract: An antenna has a spiral driven element that meanders in a z direction, perpendicular to the x-y plane of the spiral, and a ground plane that also meanders in the z direction, such that spacing between the ground plane and the driven element is an odd multiple of one-quarter wavelength, along at least a portion of the length of the driven element. The spacing promotes constructive interference from signals reflected by the ground plane, increasing the front-to-back ratio of the antenna and, thereby, providing gain. The ground plane of a wideband version of the spiral antenna meanders, such that the spacing varies between about an odd multiple of one-quarter wavelength of an upper frequency to about an odd multiple of one-quarter wavelength of a lower frequency of a frequency range, thereby providing gain over a range of frequencies.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2014
    Publication date: February 11, 2016
    Inventors: John E. Grandfield, Phillip Hulse
  • Publication number: 20150171517
    Abstract: An electronically steerable helical or spiral antenna includes a monopole antenna element disposed within at least one helical or spiral antenna element. The antenna can be electronically steered, i.e., its radiation pattern can be altered, such that the antenna radiates in a desired direction, without mechanically changing a direction in which the antenna is aimed and without mechanically changing orientation of any of the antenna's elements, by adjusting amplitude and phase of a signal fed to the monopole antenna element, relative to a signal fed to the at least one helical or spiral antenna element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 12, 2014
    Publication date: June 18, 2015
    Inventors: John E. Grandfield, Philip Hulse, Matthew Shea, Michael P. Abban
  • Patent number: 8922452
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a periodic spiral antenna includes first and second arms that form interleaved spirals parallel to an x-y plane, wherein the arms have a height dimension that extends along a z direction that is perpendicular to the x-y plane, and wherein the interleaved spirals form multiple turns of the antenna, the turns being equally spaced from each other throughout the antenna.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignees: University of South Florida, The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory
    Inventors: Jonathan Michael O'Brien, Thomas Weller, Gokhan Mumcu, John E. Grandfield
  • Patent number: 8629811
    Abstract: An electrically small dual-band planar tunable UHF/L-Band antenna. In one example, the dual-band antenna includes a combination of a semi-spiral antenna for the UHF frequencies and a microstrip patch antenna for the L-band frequencies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2014
    Assignee: The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc.
    Inventors: John E. Grandfield, Michael P. Abban, Brad D. Gaynor
  • Publication number: 20130069838
    Abstract: An electrically small dual-band planar tunable UHF/L-Band antenna. In one example, the dual-band antenna includes a combination of a semi-spiral antenna for the UHF frequencies and a microstrip patch antenna for the L-band frequencies.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 15, 2011
    Publication date: March 21, 2013
    Applicant: THE CHARLES STARK DRAPER LABORATORY
    Inventors: John E. Grandfield, Michael P. Abban, Brad D. Gaynor
  • Patent number: 5802452
    Abstract: A multiple channel radio frequency repeater has a receive port for receiving an input signal from a first antenna and a transmit port for transmitting a frequency shifted output signal to a second antenna. An input bandpass filter is located at the input port. A low noise amplifier follows the input bandpass filter for amplifying all signals within the input bandwidth. A plurality of channel filters divide the input signal into a plurality of channel signals. A local oscillator generates a local oscillator (LO) signal. There is a mixer corresponding to each channel, each mixer has an input port, an output put port and an LO port. The LO port is coupled to the local oscillator. An Automatic Gain Control (AGC) amplifier is between each channel filter and each mixer for adjusting the channel signal level to the mixer input port to assure that each mixer has the same level amplified channel signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 1996
    Date of Patent: September 1, 1998
    Assignee: GTE Government Systems Corporation
    Inventors: John E. Grandfield, John M. Collins, William H. Hewett