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: 10819321Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: June 27, 2019Date of Patent: October 27, 2020Assignees: UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA, THE CHARLES STARK DRAPER LABORATORYInventors: David Manuel Zaiden, Thomas M. Weller, John E. Grandfield, Gokhan Mumcu
-
Patent number: 10490897Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: July 21, 2016Date of Patent: November 26, 2019Assignee: The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc.Inventors: John E. Grandfield, Jacob P. Treadway, Amy E. Duwel
-
Patent number: 9899746Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: December 12, 2014Date of Patent: February 20, 2018Assignee: The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc.Inventors: John E. Grandfield, Phillip Hulse, Matthew Shea, Michael P. Abban
-
Patent number: 9748642Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: September 30, 2015Date of Patent: August 29, 2017Assignee: The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc.Inventor: John E. Grandfield
-
Publication number: 20160181697Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: September 30, 2015Publication date: June 23, 2016Inventor: John E. Grandfield
-
Patent number: 9337533Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: August 8, 2014Date of Patent: May 10, 2016Assignee: The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc.Inventors: John E. Grandfield, Phillip Hulse
-
Publication number: 20160043464Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: August 8, 2014Publication date: February 11, 2016Inventors: John E. Grandfield, Phillip Hulse
-
Publication number: 20150171517Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: December 12, 2014Publication date: June 18, 2015Inventors: John E. Grandfield, Philip Hulse, Matthew Shea, Michael P. Abban
-
Patent number: 8922452Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: March 21, 2014Date of Patent: December 30, 2014Assignees: University of South Florida, The Charles Stark Draper LaboratoryInventors: Jonathan Michael O'Brien, Thomas Weller, Gokhan Mumcu, John E. Grandfield
-
Patent number: 8629811Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: September 15, 2011Date of Patent: January 14, 2014Assignee: The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc.Inventors: John E. Grandfield, Michael P. Abban, Brad D. Gaynor
-
Publication number: 20130069838Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: September 15, 2011Publication date: March 21, 2013Applicant: THE CHARLES STARK DRAPER LABORATORYInventors: John E. Grandfield, Michael P. Abban, Brad D. Gaynor
-
Patent number: 5802452Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: January 17, 1996Date of Patent: September 1, 1998Assignee: GTE Government Systems CorporationInventors: John E. Grandfield, John M. Collins, William H. Hewett