Patents by Inventor John J. Wooldridge
John J. Wooldridge 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: 7825852Abstract: An apparatus for simultaneous calibration and communication of active arrays of a satellite may include a base transmitter, a satellite receiver, a satellite transmitter, a base receiver, and at least one computer. The apparatus may simultaneously transmit and receive a calibration carrier and a communication carrier at different frequencies in order to calibrate the apparatus using the calibration carrier without interrupting the communication carrier. The use of different frequencies may avoid interference between the calibration and communication carriers.Type: GrantFiled: January 30, 2009Date of Patent: November 2, 2010Assignee: The Boeing CompanyInventors: John J. Wooldridge, Patrick Kevin Bailleul
-
Publication number: 20100194624Abstract: An apparatus for simultaneous calibration and communication of active arrays of a satellite may include a base transmitter, a satellite receiver, a satellite transmitter, a base receiver, and at least one computer. The apparatus may simultaneously transmit and receive a calibration carrier and a communication carrier at different frequencies in order to calibrate the apparatus using the calibration carrier without interrupting the communication carrier. The use of different frequencies may avoid interference between the calibration and communication carriers.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 30, 2009Publication date: August 5, 2010Inventors: John J. Wooldridge, Patrick Kevin Bailleul
-
Patent number: 7471237Abstract: Array antenna calibration verification coupling interrogator and responder with mode-related interrogation signal having a previous calibration phase angle, producing in responder a characteristic interrogation response. Conjugate signal is generated by reversing phase of interrogation signal, producing in responder a characteristic conjugate response. Interrogation and conjugate responses sensed and combined to determine difference characteristic for responder array element. Responder difference characteristic iteratively determined for elements in antenna array representative of present calibration verification state. Present and previous calibration verification states compared, with significant variation adapting array to desired calibration verification state. Verification processor controls interrogator, responders, and signals providing built-in missile RADAR calibration verification.Type: GrantFiled: March 22, 2006Date of Patent: December 30, 2008Assignee: The Boeing CompanyInventor: John J. Wooldridge
-
Publication number: 20080297402Abstract: Array antenna calibration verification coupling interrogator and responder with mode-related interrogation signal having a previous calibration phase angle, producing in responder a characteristic interrogation response. Conjugate signal is generated by reversing phase of interrogation signal, producing in responder a characteristic conjugate response. Interrogation and conjugate responses sensed and combined to determine difference characteristic for responder array element. Responder difference characteristic iteratively determined for elements in antenna array representative of present calibration verification state. Present and previous calibration verification states compared, with significant variation adapting array to desired calibration verification state. Verification processor controls interrogator, responders, and signals providing built-in missile RADAR calibration verification.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 22, 2006Publication date: December 4, 2008Inventor: John J. Wooldridge
-
Patent number: 7324042Abstract: A method and system for optimizing transmit beam and receive beam antenna radiation patterns. The method includes inputting initial estimate of beam weights for a transmit beam and a receive beam to an optimizer; and using a cost function to optimize beam weights so that a response peaks in a main region and is minimized in a sidelobe region; wherein the cost function is based on using receive beam and transmit beam characteristics.Type: GrantFiled: November 15, 2005Date of Patent: January 29, 2008Assignee: The Boeing CompanyInventors: Paul C. Werntz, John J. Wooldridge
-
Patent number: 5675302Abstract: A microwave frequency three-wire transmission line provides the capability of solderless interconnections between stacked microwave hybrid and printed wiring board (PWB) assemblies. Three wire-like compressible conductors are embedded in a dielectric support member. Each compressible conductor is realized by densely packing thin wire into an opening in the supporting dielectric. The dielectric preferably has a metal shielding surrounding the outer periphery to suppress higher order modes. A vertical right angle bend transition uses the transmission line to interconnect between grounded coplanar waveguide (GCPW) transmission lines. This orthogonal transition uses button spring contacts, thus creating a reusable solderless vertical interconnection between the two transmission lines.Type: GrantFiled: April 16, 1996Date of Patent: October 7, 1997Assignee: Hughes ElectronicsInventors: Claudio S. Howard, Rick L. Sturdivant, Clifton Quan, John J. Wooldridge
-
Patent number: 5644277Abstract: A vertical interconnect structure comprising a three-wire-line transmission line structure for providing electrical continuity between different levels of a multilevel substrate. The present invention provides a means for transferring power between various levels of the substrate without introducing excessive additional RE losses. First and second coplanar transmission line structures are disposed on first and second surfaces of the substrate. A vertical interconnect structure is disposed in the multilevel RF substrate and is coupled between the first and second transmission line structures. The vertical interconnect structure comprises three conductors having predetermined cross-sectional dimensions and predetermined separations therebetween that are adapted to transfer RE power between the first and second transmission line structures.Type: GrantFiled: November 6, 1995Date of Patent: July 1, 1997Assignee: Hughes Aircraft CompanyInventors: Jon J. Gulick, John J. Wooldridge
-
Patent number: 5493305Abstract: An electronic device operating in the microwave frequency range having components disposed in a plurality of planes, wherein the planes are stacked vertically. The electronic device is a T/R module or element forming a part of a subarray used in an active array radar. The T/R module or element comprises a transmit chip, a receive chip, low noise amplifiers, a phase shifter, an attenuator, switches, dc power supply, interconnects that interconnect the foregoing components and logic circuits to control the foregoing components. The components when stacked in a 3-D package are disposed behind a radiator or antenna, which transmits and receives the microwave signals. Behind the T/R module or element is a manifold which provides input and output to and from the T/R module or element. The microwave chips of the T/R module are monolithic microwave integrated circuit chips and control logic, which are disposed in an aluminum nitride substrate and coated with a conformal hermetic coating.Type: GrantFiled: April 15, 1993Date of Patent: February 20, 1996Assignee: Hughes Aircraft CompanyInventors: John J. Wooldridge, Irwin L. Newberg, Joseph P. Smalanskas, Ronald I. Wolfson
-
Patent number: 5353033Abstract: A true time delay phased array is provided which includes a digital subarray interface in the transmit signal path. The digital transmit signal path interface includes a digital reference signal generation means and digital signal propagation means for supplying the digital reference signal to the subarray. Each subarray includes RF carrier signal generating means for generating an RF carrier signal phase coherent with the reference signal, a fiber optic true time delay circuit for applying an appropriate phase delay to the RF carrier and an appropriate true time delay to the modulation signal, and a waveform modulator for modulating the modulating signal onto the phase locked RF carrier signal to provide the transmit signal for the subarray. The present invention can be used in conjunction with existing digital interface technology for receive and control signal paths to provide an entirely digital subarray signal path interface.Type: GrantFiled: April 15, 1993Date of Patent: October 4, 1994Assignee: Hughes Aircraft CompanyInventors: Irwin L. Newberg, Joseph P. Smalanskas, Ronald I. Wolfson, John J. Wooldridge, Howard S. Nussbaum
-
Patent number: 5115245Abstract: A microwave radar transceiver assembly (30) includes a monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC) chip (58) having a coplanar waveguide transmssion lines (100, 102, 104) formed on the same surface (58a) as the electronic elements thereof. Coplanar waveguide transmission lines (68, 70, 72) are also formed on a surface (62a) of a substrate (62). The transceiver chip (58), in addition to other chips (56, 60), are mounted on the substrate (62) in a flip-chip arrangement, with the respective surfaces (58a, 62a) on which the transmission lines (100, 102, 104; 68, 70, 72) are formed facing each other.Type: GrantFiled: September 4, 1990Date of Patent: May 19, 1992Assignees: Hughes Aircraft Company, Delco Electronics CorporationInventors: Cheng P. Wen, Gregory S. Mendolia, Mario Siracusa, Joseph J. Maieron, William D. Higdon, John J. Wooldridge, Jon Gulick