Patents by Inventor Keith Edenfield

Keith Edenfield 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: 11283190
    Abstract: A fixed beam high gain antenna for generating high gain for satellite communication ground terminals includes a multi-layer PCB having a top surface forming a rear surface of the antenna and a bottom layer forming a front surface of the antenna; an antenna array including a plurality of antenna patches on the front surface of the antenna and a plurality of application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) on the rear surface of the antenna; wherein the antenna array comprises at least one antenna unit cell each including one of the plurality of ASICs in connection with a corresponding plurality of the plurality of antenna patches; wherein each one of the plurality of ASICs is centrally positioned and surrounded by the corresponding plurality of antenna patches; and wherein a reduced length of the connection between each of the plurality of ASICs and the corresponding plurality of antenna patches minimizes RF transmission loss.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignee: AvL Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Ian J. Timmins, Keith Edenfield, Bruce Barratt, Alan Ellis
  • Patent number: 10993315
    Abstract: A compensated via structure is utilized in a multi-layer printed circuit board (PCB) stackup to improve the radio frequency (RF) transmission performance of the PCB. The compensated via structure includes a compensating structure and a central via surrounded by multiple grounding posts, wherein both ends of the central via are connected to the input and the output transmission lines through pads. The compensating structure is within a ground plane located in between of the two layers within which the input and output transmission lines are. The increased coupling between the central via and the grounding posts and between the compensating structure and the ground plane results in reductions in both return and insertion losses and contributes to the improved RF transmission performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: AvL Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Ian J. Timmins, Keith Edenfield, Bruce Barratt, Alan Ellis
  • Patent number: 10910702
    Abstract: An AESA for SATCOM includes a PCB; a plurality of ICs; an RF feed network for an array; a plurality of patch antennas; a SPI bus for controlling phase shifting of the ICs; phase shifters being operable for selectively introducing a phase shift internal to each of the plurality of ICs such that the radiation pattern resulting from the patch antennas connected to a single IC are steered; and wherein the plurality of ICs are operable to selectively provide either left hand circular polarization, right hand circular polarization, horizontal polarization or vertical polarization.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2021
    Assignee: AvL Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Bryan Keith Edenfield, Ian J. Timmins, Bruce Barratt, Adam Gropp, Alan E. Ellis, James L. Oliver
  • Publication number: 20200365999
    Abstract: A flat panel antenna for satellite communications, the flat panel antenna including a printed circuit board (PCB) including a plurality of patches and a feed network; a waveguide manifold including a transmit feed network on one side and a receive feed network on the opposite side; a transition region on the transmit feed network wherein a waveguide input port transitions to a ridged waveguide for compact dimension; a transition region on the transmit feed network wherein the waveguide input port transitions to the ridged waveguide for compact dimension; an integrated transmit reject filter on the receive feed network; and wherein the flat panel antenna is operable to provide right hand circular polarization TX and left-hand circular polarization RX.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 18, 2020
    Publication date: November 19, 2020
    Applicant: AvL Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Keith Edenfield, Ian J. Timmins, Bruce Barratt, Alan Eugene Ellis, Erik Leonard, Peter McMehamin
  • Patent number: 10645840
    Abstract: A heatsink for heat dissipation amongst an active electronically steered array (AESA) on a printed circuit board (PCB) includes a metal plate having a first side and a second side; a plurality of integrally formed pockets on the first side of the metal plate each being sized and configured for congruent receipt of a corresponding one of a plurality of functional blocks of the AESA on the PCB; a plurality of waveguide manifolds on the second side of the metal plate including a plurality of holes that launch a wave transmission and a plurality of slots that guide the direction of the wave transmission; and wherein the metal plate prevents localized overheating amongst the AESA by positioning the metal plate on the PCB wherein the plurality of integrally formed pockets and the plurality of holes and the plurality of slots of the plurality of waveguide manifolds facilitate heat dissipation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2020
    Assignee: AvL Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Ian J. Timmins, Wayne Holt, Alan Ellis, Adam C. Gropp, Keith Edenfield, Bruce Barratt
  • Patent number: 10622725
    Abstract: A modular feed system for axis symmetric reflector antennas includes an upper hat segment, a mid-section segment and a lower base segment, the upper hat and lower base segments being securable to respective opposing ends of the mid-section segment; wherein the length of the mid-section segment is selected in order to accommodate application of a particularly sized reflector antenna; and a mechanical mating mechanism including base slots for feed spring entry, corresponding carriage springs on the feed, and corresponding recessed spring capture locations; and wherein the carriage springs are sized and configured to pass through the corresponding base slots for feed spring entry as part of the initial mating of the feed to the base segment, and selective rotation thereof moves the corresponding carriage springs into corresponding recessed spring capture locations and causing a mechanically audible sound for indicating that the feed has locked into position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2020
    Assignee: AvL Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Bruce Barratt, Keith Edenfield, Ian J. Timmins
  • Publication number: 20200112084
    Abstract: An AESA for SATCOM includes a PCB; a plurality of ICs; an RF feed network for an array; a plurality of patch antennas; a SPI bus for controlling phase shifting of the ICs; phase shifters being operable for selectively introducing a phase shift internal to each of the plurality of ICs such that the radiation pattern resulting from the patch antennas connected to a single IC are steered; and wherein the plurality of ICs are operable to selectively provide either left hand circular polarization, right hand circular polarization, horizontal polarization or vertical polarization.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2019
    Publication date: April 9, 2020
    Applicant: AvL Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Bryan Keith Edenfield, Ian J. Timmins, Bruce Barratt, Adam Gropp, Alan E. Ellis, James L. Oliver
  • Publication number: 20190327855
    Abstract: A heatsink for heat dissipation amongst an active electronically steered array (AESA) on a printed circuit board (PCB) includes a metal plate having a first side and a second side; a plurality of integrally formed pockets on the first side of the metal plate each being sized and configured for congruent receipt of a corresponding one of a plurality of functional blocks of the AESA on the PCB; a plurality of waveguide manifolds on the second side of the metal plate including a plurality of holes that launch waveguide and a plurality of slots that guide the direction of the wave transmission; and wherein the metal plate prevents localized overheating amongst the AESA by positioning the metal plate on the PCB wherein the plurality of integrally formed pockets and the plurality of holes and the plurality of slots of the plurality of waveguide manifolds facilitate heat dissipation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 25, 2019
    Publication date: October 24, 2019
    Applicant: Optical Cable Corporation
    Inventors: Ian J. Timmins, Wayne Holt, Alan Ellis, Adam C. Grop, Keith Edenfield, Bruce Barratt
  • Patent number: 10367256
    Abstract: An AESA for SATCOM includes a PCB; a plurality of ICs; an RF feed network for an array; a plurality of patch antennas; a SPI bus for controlling phase shifting of the ICs; phase shifters being operable for selectively introducing a phase shift internal to each of the plurality of ICs such that the radiation pattern resulting from the patch antennas connected to a single IC are steered; a RF power amplifier in each of the ICs, the RF power amplifier being in a common IC footprint with at least one of the phase shifters; the RF power amplifier being structured and disposed for providing amplification for the array, wherein the RF power amplifier compensates for the lossy nature of the internal layers of the PCB; and wherein the plurality of ICs to selectively provide either left hand circular polarization, right hand circular polarization, horizontal polarization or vertical polarization.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2019
    Assignee: AvL Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Bryan Keith Edenfield, Ian J. Timmins, Bruce Barratt, Adam Gropp, Alan E. Ellis, James L. Oliver
  • Publication number: 20190157772
    Abstract: A fixed beam high gain antenna for generating high gain for satellite communication ground terminals includes a multi-layer PCB having a top surface forming a rear surface of the antenna and a bottom layer forming a front surface of the antenna; an antenna array including a plurality of antenna patches on the front surface of the antenna and a plurality of application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) on the rear surface of the antenna; wherein the antenna array comprises at least one antenna unit cell each including one of the plurality of ASICs in connection with a corresponding plurality of the plurality of antenna patches; wherein each one of the plurality of ASICs is centrally positioned and surrounded by the corresponding plurality of antenna patches; and wherein a reduced length of the connection between each of the plurality of ASICs and the corresponding plurality of antenna patches minimizes RF transmission loss.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 5, 2018
    Publication date: May 23, 2019
    Applicant: AvL Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Ian J. Timmins, Keith Edenfield, Bruce Barratt, Alan Ellis
  • Publication number: 20190140362
    Abstract: An AESA for SATCOM includes a PCB; a plurality of ICs; an RF feed network for an array; a plurality of patch antennas; a SPI bus for controlling phase shifting of the ICs; phase shifters being operable for selectively introducing a phase shift internal to each of the plurality of ICs such that the radiation pattern resulting from the patch antennas connected to a single IC are steered; a RF power amplifier in each of the ICs, the RF power amplifier being in a common IC footprint with at least one of the phase shifters; the RF power amplifier being structured and disposed for providing amplification for the array, wherein the RF power amplifier compensates for the lossy nature of the internal layers of the PCB; and wherein the plurality of ICs to selectively provide either left hand circular polarization, right hand circular polarization, horizontal polarization or vertical polarization.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 26, 2018
    Publication date: May 9, 2019
    Applicant: AvL Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Bryan Keith Edenfield, Ian J. Timmins, Bruce Barratt, Adam Gropp, Alan E. Ellis, James L. Oliver
  • Publication number: 20190132943
    Abstract: A compensated via structure is utilized in a multi-layer printed circuit board (PCB) stackup to improve the radio frequency (RF) transmission performance of the PCB. The compensated via structure includes a compensating structure and a central via surrounded by multiple grounding posts, wherein both ends of the central via are connected to the input and the output transmission lines through pads. The compensating structure is within a ground plane located in between of the two layers within which the input and output transmission lines are. The increased coupling between the central via and the grounding posts and between the compensating structure and the ground plane results in reductions in both return and insertion losses and contributes to the improved RF transmission performance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2018
    Publication date: May 2, 2019
    Applicant: AvL Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Ian J. Timmins, Keith Edenfield, Bruce Barratt, Alan Ellis
  • Publication number: 20180294543
    Abstract: A modular feed system for axis symmetric reflector antennas includes an upper hat segment, a mid-section segment and a lower base segment, the upper hat and lower base segments being securable to respective opposing ends of the mid-section segment; wherein the length of the mid-section segment is selected in order to accommodate application of a particularly sized reflector antenna; and a mechanical mating mechanism including base slots for feed spring entry, corresponding carriage springs on the feed, and corresponding recessed spring capture locations; and wherein the carriage springs are sized and configured to pass through the corresponding base slots for feed spring entry as part of the initial mating of the feed to the base segment, and selective rotation thereof moves the corresponding carriage springs into corresponding recessed spring capture locations and causing a mechanically audible sound for indicating that the feed has locked into position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 11, 2018
    Publication date: October 11, 2018
    Applicant: AvL Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Bruce Barratt, Keith Edenfield, Ian J. Timmins