Patents by Inventor Kevin R. Boyle

Kevin R. Boyle 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: 9300270
    Abstract: An RF device includes a substrate and a series circuit of a tunable RF component and a DC blocking capacitor. The series circuit is arranged on the substrate and couples an RF signal terminal to a fixed voltage terminal that is electrically isolated from the RF signal terminal. The tunable RF component is coupled to the RF signal terminal, the DC blocking capacitor is coupled to the fixed voltage terminal and a driver terminal is coupled to the tunable RF component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Zidong Liu, Klaus Reimann, Kevin R. Boyle, Maurice de Jongh, Jeroen Bielen
  • Patent number: 9225065
    Abstract: A cheaper to produce, smaller and easy to drive adaptive antenna module is presented. The module comprises a signal path, an antenna, and a tuning circuit with two variable impedance elements. The tuning circuit operates over a restricted range of impedances and maintains the series resonance characteristic of the antenna.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2015
    Assignee: Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Kevin R. Boyle, Maurice de Jongh, Adrianus van Bezooijen
  • Patent number: 9054774
    Abstract: A communication system transmits signals having frequencies that lie within a transmission band and receives signals having frequencies that lie within a reception band. The system includes a duplexer and an antenna. The duplexer includes a transmission branch and a reception branch. The transmission branch includes a transmission filter, a transmission phase shifting network and a transmission matching network. The reception branch includes a reception filter, a reception phase shifting network and a reception matching network. The transmission matching network and the reception matching network have predominately constant phase shifts over frequencies within the reception band and within the transmission band, respectively. The antenna is coupled to the transmission matching network and to the reception matching network, and shows a predominantly reactance-only impedance variation over frequencies in the transmission band and over frequencies in the reception band.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2015
    Assignee: Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Kevin R. Boyle
  • Patent number: 8897710
    Abstract: A terminal configured to receive data from a broadcast station that may simultaneously participate in a wireless network via transmissions to a wireless base station. The terminal determines time periods when data of interest to the terminal will be broadcast and schedules transmissions to the base station to avoid these time periods, thereby avoiding the transmissions preventing reception of the data of interest. The time periods may be determined amongst other means from scheduling information transmitted by the broadcast station.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
    Inventors: David E. Penna, Richard J. Houldsworth, Kevin R. Boyle, Bernard Hunt
  • Publication number: 20130335168
    Abstract: An RF device includes a substrate and a series circuit of a tunable RF component and a DC blocking capacitor. The series circuit is arranged on the substrate and couples an RF signal terminal to a fixed voltage terminal that is electrically isolated from the RF signal terminal. The tunable RF component is coupled to the RF signal terminal, the DC blocking capacitor is coupled to the fixed voltage terminal and a driver terminal is coupled to the tunable RF component.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 23, 2010
    Publication date: December 19, 2013
    Applicant: EPCOS AG
    Inventors: Zidong Liu, Klaus Reimann, Kevin R. Boyle, Maurice de Jongh, Jeroen Bielen
  • Publication number: 20130113677
    Abstract: A cheaper to produce, smaller and easy to drive adaptive antenna module is presented. The module comprises a signal path, an antenna, and a tuning circuit with two variable impedance elements. The tuning circuit operates over a restricted range of impedances and maintains the series resonance characteristic of the antenna.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 30, 2010
    Publication date: May 9, 2013
    Applicant: EPCOS AG
    Inventors: Kevin R. Boyle, Maurice de Jongh, Adrianus Van Bezooijen
  • Patent number: 8330667
    Abstract: A method of offsetting a mismatch due to user interaction when handling a portable wireless terminal in which antenna matching is changed from inductive matching to capacitive matching in response to a reactance change exceeding a threshold level and vice versa when an opposite change is detected. An antenna interface module (44) is coupled between a RF output or input stage (25 or 33) and an antenna (48 or 50). The antenna interface module includes first and second switches (SW1/1, SW1/2 or SW2/1, SW2/2), a first matching circuit including an inductive reactance (68 or 96) coupled between the power amplifier and the first switch and a second matching circuit including a capacitive reactance (68 or 92) is coupled between the RF output or input stage and the second switch (SW1/1 or SW2/1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Epcos AG
    Inventor: Kevin R. Boyle
  • Patent number: 8194386
    Abstract: A tuneable capacitor arrangement for RF use has two series coupled MEMS variable capacitors (C1,C2;C4,C5,C6,C7), varied according to a control signal. The series coupling enables the capacitor to withstand a higher voltage since this is shared by the individual capacitors in a series coupled arrangement. An increase in size of electrodes for each capacitor is compensated by a reduction in size of the springs supporting movable electrodes. These springs can have a larger stiffness value since the capacitance is larger. This means shorter springs, which can also result in a reduction in problems of stiction, resistance, and slow switching. The capacitances have a fixed and a movable electrode, with the RF signal coupled to the fixed electrode to avoid the springs needing to carry an RF signal. This can reduce the problems of inductance and resistance in the springs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2012
    Assignee: EPCOS AG
    Inventors: Peter G. Steeneken, Kevin R. Boyle, Antonius J. M. De Graauw, Theodoor G. S. M. Rijks, Jozef T. M. Van Beek
  • Publication number: 20120063368
    Abstract: A communication system transmits signals having frequencies that lie within a transmission band and receives signals having frequencies that lie within a reception band. The system includes a duplexer and an antenna. The duplexer includes a transmission branch and a reception branch. The transmission branch includes a transmission filter, a transmission phase shifting network and a transmission matching network. The reception branch includes a reception filter, a reception phase shifting network and a reception matching network. The transmission matching network and the reception matching network have predominately constant phase shifts over frequencies within the reception band and within the transmission band, respectively. The antenna is coupled to the transmission matching network and to the reception matching network, and shows a predominantly reactance-only impedance variation over frequencies in the transmission band and over frequencies in the reception band.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 1, 2010
    Publication date: March 15, 2012
    Applicant: EPCOS AG
    Inventor: Kevin R. Boyle
  • Patent number: 8098210
    Abstract: A method of matching a receive-only antenna (60) for use in receiving video signals in which measurements made on a transceiver's antenna (14) when in an transmitting mode are used in matching the receive-only antenna. The ratio of the amplitude of the reflected signal to the strength of the transmitted signal strength is used not only in selecting components for matching the transceiver's antenna (14) but also in selecting components for matching the receive-only antenna (60). The ratio may be applied to respective look-up tables (54, 64) for selecting the components to be used in matching the respective antennas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2012
    Assignee: EPCOS AG
    Inventors: Peter J. Massey, Kevin R. Boyle, Didier Lohy, Eric Maurice
  • Patent number: 8063834
    Abstract: A mobile telephone comprises a casing housing a telephone set to receive and transmit radiotelephone signals and a television set comprising a main television antenna (MAN) to receive radiotelevision signals, a television receiver arranged to process the received radiotelevision signals to output television signals to be displayed, and a display means display the outputted television signals. The main television antenna (MAN) is made in planar technology, is built-in inside the casing and comprises a filtering slot (FS) having chosen dimensions (D1, D2) to be resonant around the frequency of the radiotelephone signals to reject them at least partly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2011
    Assignee: NXP B.V.
    Inventor: Kevin R. Boyle
  • Patent number: 7848771
    Abstract: A wireless terminal includes a housing (10) containing a substrate (12) having a ground plane, RF components mounted on the substrate, a PIFA (Planar Inverted-F Antenna) (16) carried by the substrate and coupled electrically to the RF components for transmitting and receiving signals and a notch antenna (14) in the substrate for receiving signals in a frequency band at least partially overlapping the transmission bandwidth of some of the signals transmitted by the PIFA. The notch antenna is de-activated when the PIFA (16) is being used for transmitting a signal lying within the said transmission bandwidth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2010
    Assignee: NXP B.V.
    Inventor: Kevin R. Boyle
  • Patent number: 7843397
    Abstract: A communications apparatus, includes a housing (40) containing a printed circuit board (PCB) (12) having a ground plane (16) and electronic components in rf shields (18) thereon. A planar antenna (10) is mounted spaced from the ground plane and a dielectric (14) is present in a space between the PCB and the planar antenna. A feed (36) couples the planar antenna (10) to the rf components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2010
    Assignee: EPCOS AG
    Inventor: Kevin R. Boyle
  • Publication number: 20100289711
    Abstract: A method of offsetting a mismatch due to user interaction when handling a portable wireless terminal in which antenna matching is changed from inductive matching to capacitive matching in response to a reactance change exceeding a threshold level and vice versa when an opposite change is detected. An antenna interface module (44) is coupled between a RF output or input stage (25 or 33) and an antenna (48 or 50). The antenna interface module includes first and second switches (SW1/1, SW1/2 or SW2/1, SW2/2), a first matching circuit including an inductive reactance (68 or 96) coupled between the power amplifier and the first switch and a second matching circuit including a capacitive reactance (68 or 92) is coupled between the RF output or input stage and the second switch (SW1/1 or SW2/1).
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 13, 2009
    Publication date: November 18, 2010
    Applicant: EPCOS AG
    Inventor: Kevin R. Boyle
  • Patent number: 7835776
    Abstract: A wireless terminal comprises a ground conductor (1102) and a transceiver coupled to an antenna feed, the antenna feed being coupled directly to the ground conductor (1102). In one embodiment the ground conductor is a conducting case (1102). The coupling may be via a parallel plate capacitor (504) formed by a plate (506) and a surface (1108) of the case (1102). The case (1102) acts as an efficient, wideband radiator, eliminating the need for a separate antenna. In a modification of this embodiment a slot (1112) is provided to increase the resistance of the case (1102) as seen by the transceiver, thereby increasing the radiating bandwidth of the terminal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2010
    Assignee: NXP B.V.
    Inventors: Kevin R. Boyle, Peter J. Massey, Roger Hill
  • Publication number: 20100091690
    Abstract: A multi-band RF circuit has receive paths for two or more bands, and transmit paths, a bidirectional one-in multi-le-out transmission line junction (100) for combining the paths for coupling to an antenna. A switch combines transmit and receive paths, and a receive path circuit (110, 150, 160, 230, 240) is arranged to pass signals of its band, and appear open circuit to signals of the other bands. This means the combiner no longer needs to cut off the receive paths when they are not used. This can reduce components and thus reduce losses in the transmit paths for longer battery life or greater transmit range. A band filter (SAW) and a complementary circuit can achieve the open circuit. The bands can include GSM and GPS bands, the circuits can be used in tri band mobile handsets and handsets for future 3G bands, or base stations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2005
    Publication date: April 15, 2010
    Applicant: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS ELECTRONICS N.V.
    Inventor: Kevin R. Boyle
  • Patent number: 7671808
    Abstract: A communications device, such as a cellular telephone, comprises a RF circuit and a PIFA antenna having feed and shorting terminations. An electrically conductive, self supporting member is provided to effect a connection between contact points of the RF circuit and the antenna. The member has at least one feed pillar and a shorting pillar which are substantially permanently connected to respective contact points of the RF circuit, and an antenna interface which forms a pressure connection with the terminations of the antenna.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2010
    Assignee: NXP B.V.
    Inventor: Kevin R. Boyle
  • Publication number: 20090237858
    Abstract: A tuneable capacitor arrangement for RF use has two series coupled MEMS variable capacitors (C1,C2;C4,C5,C6,C7), varied according to a control signal. The series coupling enables the capacitor to withstand a higher voltage since this is shared by the individual capacitors in a series coupled arrangement. An increase in size of electrodes for each capacitor is compensated by a reduction in size of the springs supporting movable electrodes. These springs can have a larger stiffness value since the capacitance is larger. This means shorter springs, which can also result in a reduction in problems of stiction, resistance, and slow switching. The capacitances have a fixed and a movable electrode, with the RF signal coupled to the fixed electrode to avoid the springs needing to carry an RF signal. This can reduce the problems of inductance and resistance in the springs.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2006
    Publication date: September 24, 2009
    Inventors: Peter G. Steeneken, Kevin R. Boyle, Antonius J.M. De Graauw, Theodoor G.S.M. Rijks, Jozef T.M. Van Beek
  • Patent number: 7580727
    Abstract: A multi-mode radio module (22) comprises a terminal (11) for connection to an antenna (10). A transmitting branch (DCS/PCS) and a branching circuit are coupled to the terminal (11). The branching circuit comprises at least a first and a second branch for receiving signals in first and second frequency bands (DCS, PCS), respectively. Each of the first and second branches comprise, respectively, a phase shifting circuit (PS1, PS2), a BAW or SAW band pass filter (RXF2, RXF3) coupled to the phase shifting circuit, the bandwidth of the filter being selected to pass a wanted signal in one of the first and second frequency bands but reject an unwanted signal in the other of the second and first frequency bands, and a low noise amplifier (LNA2, LNA3) coupled to an output of the band pass filter. The response of each of the band pass filters (RXF2, RXF3) is phase shifted to present an open circuit at the wanted frequency in the other branch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2009
    Assignee: NXP B.V.
    Inventors: Kevin R. Boyle, Antonius J. M. De Graauw, Robert F. Milsom
  • Patent number: 7522936
    Abstract: A wireless terminal a transceiver coupled to an antenna feed and a ground conductor (502), the antenna feed being coupled directly to the ground conductor (502). In one embodiment the ground conductor is a conducting case (902). The coupling is via a parallel plate capacitor formed by a respective plate (506) and a portion of the surface of the case (502). The case (502) acts as an efficient, wideband radiator, eliminating the need for separate antennas. Slots (912, 1214) perform a matching function, eliminating the need for matching between the transceiver and antenna feed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2009
    Assignee: NXP B.V.
    Inventors: Kevin R. Boyle, Peter J. Massey