Patents by Inventor John Hanford Spears

John Hanford Spears 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: 9698758
    Abstract: Methods for generating a look-up table relating a plurality of complex reflection coefficients to a plurality of matched states for a tunable matching network. Typical steps include measuring a plurality of complex reflection coefficients resulting from a plurality of impedance loads while the tunable matching network is in a predetermined state, determining a plurality of matched states for the plurality of impedance loads, with a matched state determined for each of the plurality of impedance loads and providing the determined matched states as a look-up table. A further step is interpolating the measured complex reflection coefficients and the determined matching states into a set of complex reflection coefficients with predetermined step sizes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: John Hanford Spears, Wayne Eric Smith, Chenggang Sui, Yongfei Zhu
  • Patent number: 9671765
    Abstract: A system that incorporates teachings of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a process that assigns a respective priority level to each of a number of tuning algorithms controlling different tunable elements of a communication device. A first tuning algorithm is executed according to a first priority level assigned to the first tuning algorithm. A remaining number of the tuning algorithms are executed to determine whether the first tuning algorithm has affected a tuning state of any of the remainder of tuning algorithms. A second of the number of tuning algorithms is executed in response to a stability condition of the first tuning algorithm and according to a second priority level assigned to the second tuning algorithm. Other embodiments are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: BLACKBERRY LIMITED
    Inventors: Keith Manssen, Carsten Hoirup, Matthew Russell Greene, Simon Andrew Hughes, Steven Mark Morelen, Victor Galperin, John Hanford Spears
  • Publication number: 20150142139
    Abstract: A system that incorporates teachings of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a process that assigns a respective priority level to each of a number of tuning algorithms controlling different tunable elements of a communication device. A first tuning algorithm is executed according to a first priority level assigned to the first tuning algorithm. A remaining number of the tuning algorithms are executed to determine whether the first tuning algorithm has affected a tuning state of any of the remainder of tuning algorithms. A second of the number of tuning algorithms is executed in response to a stability condition of the first tuning algorithm and according to a second priority level assigned to the second tuning algorithm. Other embodiments are disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2015
    Publication date: May 21, 2015
    Inventors: Keith Manssen, Carsten Hoirup, Matthew Russell Greene, Simon Andrew Hughes, Steven Mark Morelen, Victor Galperin, John Hanford Spears
  • Patent number: 8957742
    Abstract: Methods for generating a look-up table relating a plurality of complex reflection coefficients to a plurality of matched states for a tunable matching network. Typical steps include measuring a plurality of complex reflection coefficients resulting from a plurality of impedance loads while the tunable matching network is in a predetermined state, determining a plurality of matched states for the plurality of impedance loads, with a matched state determined for each of the plurality of impedance loads and providing the determined matched states as a look-up table. A further step is interpolating the measured complex reflection coefficients and the determined matching states into a set of complex reflection coefficients with predetermined step sizes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: John Hanford Spears, Wayne Eric Smith, Chenggang Sui, Yongfei Zhu
  • Patent number: 8674783
    Abstract: Methods for generating a look-up table relating a plurality of complex reflection coefficients to a plurality of matched states for a tunable matching network. Typical steps include measuring a plurality of complex reflection coefficients resulting from a plurality of impedance loads while the tunable matching network is in a predetermined state, determining a plurality of matched states for the plurality of impedance loads, with a matched state determined for each of the plurality of impedance loads and providing the determined matched states as a look-up table. A further step is interpolating the measured complex reflection coefficients and the determined matching states into a set of complex reflection coefficients with predetermined step sizes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2014
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: John Hanford Spears, Wayne Eric Smith, Yongfei Zhu, Chenggang Sui
  • Patent number: 7777369
    Abstract: An embodiment of the present invention provides an apparatus, comprising at least one anti-parallel pair VVC network comprised of two parallel VVCs with one biased in the opposite polarity of the other and at least one anti-series VVC network comprised of two VVCs configured in series, one biased in the opposite polarity of the other such that the resulting AC capacitive variations produce a desired capacitance variation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2010
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.
    Inventors: John Hanford Spears, Matthew Russell Greene
  • Publication number: 20090160263
    Abstract: An embodiment of the present invention provides an apparatus, comprising at least one anti-parallel pair VVC network comprised of two parallel VVCs with one biased in the opposite polarity of the other and at least one anti-series VVC network comprised of two VVCs configured in series, one biased in the opposite polarity of the other such that the resulting AC capacitive variations produce a desired capacitance variation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2007
    Publication date: June 25, 2009
    Inventors: John Hanford Spears, Matthew Russell Greene